


Sparks

by dmc87



Category: Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner
Genre: F/M, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, so it's necessarily implied here and that's really it, within the game (Raidou Kuzunoha 2) itself actually
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-01
Updated: 2015-01-01
Packaged: 2018-03-04 18:24:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 69,643
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3080813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dmc87/pseuds/dmc87
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>We all know the story: a year after the Red Cape incident, the Yatagarasu senses another disturbance in the Capital and the mantle of Raidou Kuzunoha must be taken up once more. Narumi's still a bum, Tae's still fighting for recognition in the workplace, and Gouto still denies his love of Foxtails. Only this time, the 14th is...a girl?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Home, Sweet Home

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! This story is already up on FF.net, same username, but I'll be posting this here too, along with any sequels it might spout. If I ever get to it. Clearly, meant to be a novelization of the second Raidou Kuzunoha game with a female lead. I promise it's better than it sounds. Ha ha!
> 
> I know it takes a bit in the beginning establishing already existing relationships, but it'll pick up.
> 
> As a heads up, this story follows the Chaos path of the game, and branches out into another Law and Chaos ending.

The clouds floated lazily about the sky, shielding the sun from the natural dullness of the Capital below. Carts went about their daily rounds, businesses still opened and closed at the right hours, and shrines were just as abandoned as ever. But there was an eerie buzzing around the Capital that day, something the heavens did not so much ignore as overlook, and its inhabitants felt the chill despite the perceived normalcy of the day.

In Tsukudo-Cho, a small figure cloaked in black moved across the Ushigome-gaeri bridge with calculated exactness. To those around her, it seemed innate, something so instilled in the figure that it felt almost ancient. In truth, it was the presence of the black cat trailing her that affected them, though they would never know.

"How long has it been, Kotone?" the cat asked the girl as they walked together. They were allies, old friends, and only she and those of her profession – or his – could hear him.

Kotone looked down at him fondly. Only he and a few others called her by her real name outside the village. "A year, Gouto," she replied quietly, so no one would see that she was speaking with a cat, but she received some odd looks anyway. "I never thought I'd say it, but I missed the company in Tsukudo-Cho."

"So did I," chuckled Gouto. "Pity we only get to come here when there's some threat to the Capital."

"We should travel here, then, when this is over," she suggested, fixing the boy's schoolcap over her head. "Have a sort of vacation…if that's possible for a Raidou Kuzunoha."

For Raidou Kuzunoha the 14th, to be exact, and the first female one at that, but the clan had never made a fuss about it. Kotone was the only daughter of the previous Raidou and the only one in the clan deemed worthy to inherit the title, whether or not she was, according to the Yatagarasu, a blossoming young lady. The clan was different from the rest of the country in that aspect.

"Aren't you still in high school?" Gouto asked. "The 13th told me before that he wanted his child to finish at least that level of education. Although, judging by the grueling Kuzunoha clan training, I can understand why you want a break."

"I am still in high school." The 14th kept her peripherals on people's feet ahead of her so she could speak with Gouto without knocking anyone over. "I don't mind being summoned by the Yatagarasu for a mission, of course, though my schoolmates are beginning to think I'm a slack—" Kotone stumbled forward. When she caught herself, she looked up to see the face of whoever had bumped into her.

Curly hair – not the uniformed sort of curly that obediently turned inward, but the chaotic kind that stuck out and refused to be combed down – was the first thing she noticed about him. He seemed normal enough, with a plain shirt and trousers, but there was an intensity in his eyes that Kotone wondered about and a wide grin on his mouth.

"'Scuse me, little missy," he said, smirking as he made the motion of tipping a hat, and ran off.

"Judging by his accent, I would say he's new here in the Capital," said Kotone, watching him go. "And it's a wonder he could tell I was female at first glance. What do you think…Gouto?"

The cat was staring at a traveling fish vendor walking around past them.

"Gouto?"

"Ah—" Gouto shook his head. "Were you saying something, Kotone?"

"Did you see that man; the one who bumped into me?"

"I'm sorry," Gouto frowned. "My mind was…elsewhere."

Kotone breathed in amusement and started for a familiar building in the district. In a sense, it was like coming home. With a foreboding sense of danger looming over her shoulders, certainly, because of the vague assignment the Yatagarasu had given, but it was home sweet home all the same.

"The Narumi Detective Agency," Gouto read when they arrived before the steps of the Ginroukaku building. "It certainly doesn't feel like a year now, does it?"

Nodding, Kotone approached the door. It was never anyone's habit to knock and wait for the Agency's namesake to open it, however, and the two let themselves in.

There was someone behind the table holding a newspaper over his face. He turned a page once before greeting, just as languidly as Gouto and Kotone remembered, "Welcome to the Narumi Detective Agency…"

Gouto grunted indignantly.

"Gouto is wondering if you treat all your customers this way."

The newspaper was slammed on the desk, already forgotten. Somewhat obedient, curly hair, half-lidded eyes, pursed lips – Shouhei Narumi. "Raidou! Gouto!"

Kotone gave a small wave at the detective's wide eyes. "Hey, boss."

Narumi stood up with the half-irritated, half-amused smile only he could pull off. "Had I known you two would be here so soon, I would have prepared some coffee. Come on, why are you two just standing there? Make yourselves at home. Just like old times, huh?"

Exactly.

* * *

It wasn't always lively in the Narumi Detective Agency, Kotone remembered later that afternoon. There were times like these, when they were pondering on what to do next while she and Gouto stood against the staircase and Narumi sat behind his desk, reading the paper and (allegedly) being intellectual. Today Gouto had taken to curling and uncurling his tail around her arm, and Narumi was still reading.

Minutes later, her boss set the newspaper down, a cigarette lodged in between his teeth. Kotone never understood what it was with men and smoking. Her demons in particular didn't like it, that was for sure, which was why she never tried the stuff. Taking the cigarette from his mouth and putting it out over a pile of at least fifty more used cigarettes, Narumi stood and poured himself a cup of coffee before perfunctorily wiping the butter on his knife off a pile of toast.

Kotone crossed her arms. Gouto stretched his neck without taking his eyes off Narumi.

Taking his seat, Narumi stared back at the cat. "What's with that stare, Gouto?" He glanced at Kotone for a moment. She shrugged. "Ohh, I see… You've finally taken a shine to me, haven't you?" He chuckled. "I have a natural way with animals…and ladies."

Kotone concealed a snort with a cough, which Narumi chose to ignore. By all accounts, she was still only a girl. "Well, don't just stand there, Raidou. Come over here with Gouto. I made some coffee, so why don't we all have a drink together? It's my own special Narumi blend! You know, it's good to see the three of us working together again."

"However idly, as usual," Kotone replied, but not completely without humor, and took a seat beside Gouto on the table.

"Still a pair of stiffs, eh, you two?" Narumi joked, then raised his coffee cup. "Let's have a toast to our reunion! …A coffee toast."

"A coffee toast?" Gouto thought out loud, staring at the coffee cup poured out for him. He sighed. "Well, far be it from me to take away the little happiness he gets from seeing us again. All right."

"What's with that look?" Narumi glanced between Gouto and Kotone. "Are you two talking about me?"

"Gouto says we should humor you and have this coffee toast."

"Thanks," said Narumi with obvious sarcasm, but they had the toast nonetheless.

There was an uncomfortable silence afterwards, with Gouto and Narumi taking sips from their coffee (rather, with Gouto licking the coffee from his cup, what with his lack of opposable thumbs, he later complained) and Kotone fiddling with her cup's handle. She preferred water.

"Listen, Raidou…" Narumi didn't like calling her by her real name, should he run the risk of sounding unprofessional. He also thought she was more of an equal with that title than just a little girl playing detective with a cape and a boy's school uniform, but he never said that in front of Tae. It made him feel less guilty or protective, too, when he sent her around doing legwork and left her to fight those demons on her own. "You probably already know this, but you can relax here. Sure, I've got orders from the Yatagarasu to watch over you, but you're still young, and you've been training as a summoner at Kuzunoha village ever since you were a tyke. I'm just here to make sure you don't fall in with the wrong crowd out here in the big, bad world."

"I know, boss," Kotone smiled gratefully.

Narumi returned it kindly. "But hey, you've never caused me any trouble, and my philosophy is: a man's job – and a girl's, of course – should be fun. No need to stand straight up like a ramrod, is what I mean. Just sit back… loosen up… and—"

His stomach let out a desperate rumble.

Kotone reached up to stifle a chuckle; Gouto snickered along with her.

Narumi tugged at his collar. "Sorry, but I'm gonna have a bite before we start. Break time here is whenever you feel like it. No need to worry about any clients busting in… It's the middle of the day, see?"

"Okay, boss," said Kotone, still feeling humorous as she stood and entered the kitchen. "I will try to make us three something besides toast."

"Really? That'd be great," Narumi sighed contentedly, lying back on his chair. "I really missed having you around."

Gouto chuckled. "Everyone likes an errand girl."

The detective narrowed his eyes at the cat. He was starting to at least understand Gouto's emotions whenever he meowed. "What was that, Gouto?"

"He says you're a slave driver," Kotone translated, poking through the dusty cupboards. "I see you've only been eating out."

"Oh, well, that's okay, then," Narumi shrugged. "And the truth is, I'm getting into butter and toast these days. I've decided to be the modern man now, see? …Although some curry rice never hurt…"

Kotone picked up an unknown ingredient hidden at the back of a cupboard. "I think I can make do with these ingredients. Somehow."

"Great!" Narumi clapped his hands and took the newspaper to the kitchen counter. Gouto followed with a leap. "Now then…Hmph. The headlines haven't changed much since yesterday. Every article in this rag's moaning about  _good luck_  and  _bad luck_ … This  _luck_  stuff some kinda fad?" The detective scoffed and turned the page. "Hey now! Listen to this one, Raidou:  _Blimp Goes Down in Flames!_  It's a strange one… Here, I'll read it to you."

Kotone paused for a moment and watched Narumi's expressions change as he read on.

"Let's see… Halfway through the flight, the pilot started on the lunch his main squeeze made him. He dropped his umeboshi, and when he went to pick it up, his elbow hit the pressure gauge. The blimp went down in flames, but the pilot survived…with some pretty bad burns, though. Huh. Should we chalk it up to an unlucky break that came as pure coincidence? Or should we be happy that the fella survived such a dangerous situation? I can't tell if the guy was lucky or unlucky…" Narumi frowned and read through the paper again.

"The pilot should take responsibility for it," Kotone said, returning to their food. "After all, it isn't proper to eat while doing something else."

"That's my take on it, too," Narumi agreed. "Raidou, make sure you learn from his mistake, okay?"

Kotone smiled politely, only because she had learned over a year ago that the detective hardly followed his own advice. "Of course, boss."

"What?" Narumi knew what was going on the girl's mind. Still… "As far as anyone out there knows, you're my apprentice. So make sure you're nice and polite to everyone you meet, or they'll get the wrong idea about me, okay?"

Gouto gave Kotone a look that said  _just humor him for the sake of the Yatagarasu_. The practiced expression on his descendant's face didn't change.

Narumi knew her well enough to understand that the look meant he got the Tawara-Ya management angry with him all by himself, but he didn't like to think about it and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, all right. Now then… that butter on my toast ought to be nice and melted by now. A modern sort like me has toast for lunch, see? Not that any man minds curry rice for seconds. I've gotta keep up with the news, though. Well, nothing wrong with a little reading while I eat…"

Gouto and Kotone glanced at each other, then at Narumi. "Boss…"

Narumi laughed a little and shook his head. "Look, I'm a grown man, and I've got things to do. It's okay for me. Do as I say, not as I do, got it?"

"Yeah, a real role model for you, Kotone…" remarked the cat, watching Narumi move back to his desk. "I'll go keep an eye on him. He might knock everything over while he eats and does his  _modern_  activities," Gouto added, mockingly, and leapt off the kitchen counter.

Kotone went on cooking, wondering what would come of this experiment. She wasn't even sure she knew how to make curry rice. Whenever she came home from summoner training in the day, her mother had tried to instill the qualities of a good wife in her, despite her father's insistence that the only man his daughter would marry was a devil summoner and that her groom would be man enough to cook on his own without ragging on his Great Summoner of a wife for a meal. Of course, that ended up with her mother refusing to cook for her father for a week, but he got his point across somehow. That and she was only ever truly successful at frying eggs and boiling rice.

"Ah, damn!"

"What happened?" Kotone asked, running out into the main office. Gouto was on Narumi's desk, in a position after a skillful pounce, and her boss was gritting his teeth on his seat. His cup lay knocked over on its side, the last drops of coffee spilling out over the desk.

Gouto leapt back to the coffee table without a trace of guilt on his feline features. "There was an odd looking bug on his shoulder," he said. "When its face opened, it – looked almost as though it had a mask. I knew there was something wrong."

"Ah." Her eyes flew back to Narumi, who stood abruptly, butter all over his thighs. "Buttered slacks—trousers of the modern man?"

Narumi had a  _ha ha, funny_  expression, though it quickly turned to urgency as he motioned to something behind Kotone. She turned, her right hand flying to her sword hilt, but it was only a pretty lady with brown eyes that were oddly familiar.

The woman bowed respectfully, a desperate look on her face. "I need your help."

Kotone tilted her head curiously, unable to take her eyes off the girl. She didn't have Kaya's silky straight long hair, but hers was interesting nonetheless.

Curls. The chaotic kind that stuck out and refused to be combed down.

* * *

She was much calmer than Kaya, if Raidou remembered the past year's events correctly.

Her name was Akane Narita. She wanted the Narumi Detective Agency to look for a man named Dahn, but that was all the information she was willing to give. Narumi had taken the man's photo she gave with him when he went to change into pants less covered in butter, as Gouto had suggested.

Having given up on cooking for her modern man of a boss, Kotone had taken to watching the older female move uneasily in her seat, her eyes darting around the office. Perhaps she had a calm countenance, but she was clearly anxious to find this Dahn. "Miss Narita, would you like some coffee while you wait?"

Akane seemed surprised she was even there. "Oh. Yes, please…Raidou, did Mr. Narumi call you?"

Kotone nodded, pouring her a cup. She waited for Akane to ask her if that name was masculine, as most did, but the older female was mannered enough not to. "Here. But you can call me Kotone, if you like, Miss Narita." They didn't get female clients often, and she didn't have many female friends in the village. She was always much too busy and tired to keep close friendships with the other girls in school, too, and she hadn't heard from Kaya for nearly two weeks. Was this a desperate attempt to socialize outside her circle of friends in the dark realm?

"Kotone, then," said Akane politely. "You work for Mr. Narumi?"

"For the time being. Mr. Narumi will be back shortly. We had a little accident before you came in, you see…"

"No need to tell her all the details, Raidou," came Narumi's voice, and the man entered with a clean pair of white pants with a matching suit to boot. "But with that out of the way, it's time we had a little chat about your request… Miss Narita, was it?" He crossed his arms. "There's a man you wanted us to find?"

"It's urgent, you understand…" Akane clasped her fingers together. "It must be done quickly."

"Well, no need to waste shoe leather coming out here. If you need a man found, I recommend the police."

"I…I couldn't…" Akane delicately tucked a curl behind her ear. "I don't want there to be a big to-do."

Narumi sighed, looking thoughtful for a moment. "Wait here, please," he said to Akane, and then dragged Kotone into the kitchen. Gouto followed suit. "What do you think about all this, Raidou? Gouto? Is it just me, or does something smell funny here? A mysterious dame, all grown up, comes looking for a man…"

"Do you believe she is lying to us?" Kotone asked, peeking outside to take another glance at Akane.

Narumi shook his head. "Seems like penny-ante love-affair stuff to me… I don't think we should take it, do you?"

"I think we should," Gouto shrugged. "After all… what would people say if they found out slick detective Shouhei Narumi turned a nice lady down?"

"Gouto says she looks like a nice enough lady, and turning her down would be downright villainous."

At Narumi's sullen glance, the cat frowned. "Kotone!"

"Raidou, you know as well as I do that just looking nice doesn't cut it with me."

"But it is something to think about, isn't it, boss?"

Narumi looked unsure now. "Uhhh, well… Of course, the dame looks serious, and I want to play it sweet too, y'know? But love affairs... I have a strict rule on those: it's between the guy and the girl, not me."

Kotone glanced behind Narumi. Apparently, Akane was perplexed enough not to leave them alone. "I can't stay long," she said, on her feet as she took something from her small handbag. "Here. A little downpayment – it's yours."

"Now see here, Miss Narita, I never agreed to take this– hm…?"

Kotone blinked. She hadn't held that much cash in a while. The village stressed simplicity, of all things, so all the money she earned last year, she had hidden with one of her most trusted demons. (Speaking of which, she hadn't summoned them in what seemed like an eternity.)

Narumi's jaw dropped. "Wait a cotton-pickin'… Is this the down payment or the entire wad? You're giving me all this!?"

Kotone cleared her throat. "Us." Protecting the Capital didn't come cheap, after all.

"I've never employed a detective..." Akane shrugged him off, but Kotone could see that she was a little embarrassed. "I have no idea what your type costs. If it's not enough...say the word."

"...Raidou, fix our guest some coffee. And make it snappy, she's come all this way to see us."

"Sure thing, boss," said Kotone, taking the pitcher and leading the rest out of the kitchen, but after her second serving, Akane decided she had to leave.

"Well, thank you for the coffee," she said, smiling sincerely at Narumi and Kotone as she approached the door, "I'll be going now. I hope you can find him…"

"Have a good day, Miss Narita," Kotone waved, and closed the door for her. Taking a seat on the stairs, she turned her mouth up slightly. "You certainly played it sweet, boss. Not that  _you_ are to blame. Even Gouto looked surprised by the amount she gave us."

Narumi walked past her, taking a seat by the coffee table. He looked almost offended, but some of it was jest. "Just so you know, it wasn't the money that swung me. Let's be clear on that. As she talked about the job more, I started to twig it... Our Miss Akane is the only daughter of  _that_  Narita. As in Tasuke Narita, councilman in the Diet."

"I've heard of him." Kotone had no interest in politics, but the Clan had bidden her learn what she could of the Capital before her actual immersion a year ago. "The man had obscure beginnings, but…"

"Yep. Now he's the standing chairman of the Finance Committee," Narumi continued. "Every cent this nation has flows through him... You do something nice for a dame like that, and who knows what kind of doors it might open for you?"

"And here I thought he was doing it out of the goodness of his heart," said Gouto, pawing his face softly: a feline facepalm.

"What?" Narumi frowned. "It's the truth."

"Gouto says you're  _brimming_  with kindness."

"Sarcasm, right?" The detective stared at the cat. "I'm starting to understand your meowing, Gouto, see?"

Gouto flicked his tail in reply and jumped beside Kotone. "I don't understand why you can't just translate me properly."

"It's more interesting this way," the Kuzunoha replied. "Don't you agree?"

"Anyway," Narumi cleared his throat. "No wonder Akane refused to go to the police. A dame in her position has to mind her father's career... Either that, or this is still a love affair, and not one that Daddy's wild about. I mean, look at the guy..."

Narumi took the photo from his suit and threw it at Kotone, who deftly caught it in between her fingers. "That's the photo she showed me. Said that fellow's name is Dahn... Kind of a shady character, wouldn't you say? Somehow, I don't see him as the honest living type..."

The first thing Kotone noticed about the man in the picture was his hand. He was trying to block the lens, as if taking a picture of him would be taking his soul, and he didn't look very happy. There was a frown on his lips she found so foreign from his face that she wanted to just wipe it off forever. And then her eyes traveled to his hair.

"Curls…" she mumbled.

"What was that, Raidou?"

"I think…I may have already seen this man. When we were crossing the Ushigome-gaeri Bridge into town." Only he'd had that grin when they met, Kotone realized, which was why his frown had affected her so.

"Well, that's just dandy. We find the man before he's asked for and now we have no idea where he is…what luck. Then again, maybe I should have thought twice about this… A lady's one thing, but poking after a brute like him?" Narumi rubbed a hand over his face. "Ugh, I've got a whopper of a headache. Raidou, I'll let you handle this…keep the photo," he coughed, rather affectedly, in Kotone's opinion, but she was used to Narumi leaving all the work to her. Not that she minded; no matter how hard he tried, her boss always seemed to treat her like a little girl one way or another.

Gouto jumped onto Kotone's lap. "I think I'll tag along on this hunt for the missing Dahn. I'm worried about something... Have you noticed it, Kotone? Lately, I feel like  _luck_  has been coming up in conversation around the Capital way too much, and not only that. Everyone's luck seems out of whack."

"I understand," she nodded. People from the Capital didn't quite have indoor voices, so she had heard the same as Gouto. "The consensus is: those lucky get even luckier, and those unlucky..."

"Right. It's too hard to shake off as simple coincidence. I want to see what's going on with my own eyes."

"I think we should start around the Tawara-Ya area. It is a popular restaurant around here where boss had the biggest tab ever…do you remember?"

"How could I forget?" Gouto chuckled, leaping towards the door. "Come on, now."

"By the way, Raidou," Narumi called out, "remember that the first step to sleuthing is to ask around. Do some legwork, and have patience. Make sure you listen to what the man on the street has to…Ah! My pants! I better get a wet rag on those or the stain won't come out!" Narumi scratched his head and sighed. "Figures it had to land butter-side-down… Talk about your bad luck!"

"All right, boss." Kotone tipped her hat and opened the door for Gouto. "Good luck cleaning that stain out…"

"Narumi's got the right idea," said Gouto, hopping out into the busy street. "I'll come with you. You've got the sword, but I've got the pen. Behold, my Detective's Notebook!"

Kotone watched the cat pull out a small notebook from between his collar. "How do you write without opposable thumbs?"

"Patience, my young successor…" Flipping the notebook open, Gouto forced a nail out of his index finger and scratched the name  _Dahn_  on the first page. "See? All I have to do is scratch a nail on it. It has its own ink, in a way." Gouto appraised his writing and nodded appreciatively. "Hrm…excellent penmanship, if I say so myself. Luck is on your side today, having such an avid writer for a mentor. Well, if you're all set, let's get this caper started."

Starting for Tawara-Ya, Kotone gave a mock-salute. "Yessir."

* * *

Two and a half hours, lots of questions asked, little answers received, a trip to the dark realm, and a boring train ride to and from Shinoda later, Kotone and Gouto stepped out of Konnou-Ya.

"Come back with pocket money next time!" the balding owner yelled out to them, shaking his cane at them.

Gouto frowned. "And all we've got is…"

"Virtually nothing," Kotone answered. "I'm unsure why Dr. Victor puts the boss ill at ease. It was certainly nice of him to let that disturbed Inugami stay and work at his laboratory, though he could have told us he was still working beneath Konnou-Ya instead of having us travel all the way back to Shinoda. I thought he'd moved… We could have tested the box from the Agency, after all…"

"You're the only one he doesn't put ill at ease," said a floating figure behind them, her little pointed wings flapping and her horned tail curling about seductively. She barely wore a thing, but she was decent, and had just recently returned all of Kotone's past earnings, proving herself trustworthy to the devil summoner once more. "He's incredibly creepy."

"And that  _is_  something to say, especially from you, Lilim," said Kotone, grinning at the demon.

"Oh, is that  _all_  you have to say?" Lilim rolled her eyes. "We missed you! Have you even met with the others?"

"Not yet," Kotone replied, patting the tubes on her chest. "I will have to, sooner or later. But you demons have always liked surprises."

Lilim's eyes darted around the place. Tucking loose strands of hair behind her ears, she bit her lip nervously. "Well, since you summoned me, I might have happened to tell Leanan and Undine…"

"Demons of your ilk never could keep secrets," the cat remarked.

"Hey!" Lilim pouted. "That isn't nice."

Gouto chuckled. "Are you really picking a fight with a cat?"

Kotone ignored them. Gouto did have a habit of teasing her demons, especially Lilim. She supposed it came from his having been a summoner himself, but with that attitude she wondered how he could ever have negotiated with their lot. "I believe we've earned ourselves a bite to eat. How about it?"

Lilim licked her lips. "Yum. I'm in the mood for a good snacking."

"It still sounds odd, coming from you…" Kotone thought aloud, earning her a playful slap on the shoulder.

"Didn't this cat ever teach you the right way to show someone you missed them?"

"The way you're getting all worked up about it now should give you a clue," said Gouto, who ran off to Tawara-Ya upon Lilim's hiss.

"Now, now," said Kotone, but did nothing to stop the demon from chasing Gouto to the restaurant.

"Oh, hello, Raidou!" Tawara-Ya's owner, Mr. Iwata, greeted the girl upon her arrival. He had always been kind to her, especially after she paid off over half of Narumi's tab last year. "You were looking for a young man, weren't you? I just saw a boy going toward Tamonten Shrine. He was a young foreigner about your age… a tourist, maybe?"

Kotone and Gouto glanced at each other.

"Come on, Kotone, let's go eat!" Lilim insisted, tugging at Kotone's right arm. With her free one, Kotone sent the girl back into her tube.

"A lead, you think?" Kotone asked Gouto, turning away from Tawara-Ya. The Tamonten Shrine was just beside the restaurant, but it was going to take a while if she still had to speak with the foreigner. If he was a demon in disguise, she might even have to fight him, and she didn't feel like battling as much as she did eating at the moment. Narumi did say break time was whenever she wanted, but she knew to know better.

"Anything's a lead at this point," said the cat, and they trudged their way over to the Tamonten Shrine. Kotone appreciated this place. It was much more colorful than the Nameless Shrine in Shinoda, this warrior shrine where she could feel somewhat proud, and though there were no talkative Ukanomitama spirits here, it was a nice spot from which to watch people go about their daily lives.

"Raidou!" called a man standing by the shrine. He wore sunglasses, not that there was much sun to shield his eyes from.

Raidou could already see the blond at the shrine steps, but she was always polite to the elderly. "Hello…?"

"You found that precious stone for me a year ago, remember?" said the old man, "How could I forget that face and that cape of yours?"

"Ah, yes," said Kotone, though she had aided so many in the past year that she could barely remember everyone. If her memory served her correctly, however, this man had always liked his shades. "How may I help you?"

Oh no, she  _was_  an errand girl.

"No, child, I'm just here to give you a bit of advice. I'd steer well clear of Fukagawa-Cho until the dust settles!"

"Why is that, sir?"

The old man sighed. "Some guys there got the bright idea to raise a ruckus with the Kantou Haguro-gumi punks. They talked with that telltale drawl, so you can tell they weren't from around here. Unfortunate for them that Satake targeted them right after they got to the Capital."

"I see…" Kotone thanked the old man and went on into the shrine, the words  _telltale drawl_ and the picture of Dahn in her mind coming together. He spoke with that accent. It wasn't as thick as the slur of most provincials, but it was present. Could he have been the one that dared rile up Satake's goons? He did seem new around the place. But he was alone when they met, and what did it all have to do with Miss Narita?

The young man was waiting for her at the shrine, it seemed. He was handsome, truly a foreigner, with his sky blue eyes and blond hair, most of which was covered by his beret.

"It would be apropos to say  _Nice to meet you_ here, yes?" he asked in perfect Japanese as soon as their eyes met, and without waiting for Kotone to reply, continued, "This encounter with you should 'spark' something or other, I suppose. If there's anything you desire, I'd like to know. Perhaps I can provide a 'spark' for you too…"

Gouto looked up to Kotone, startled. "What sort of  _spark_  does he mean? I hope he knows this isn't the Red Light district."

The young man looked down at Gouto disdainfully before turning back to Kotone. "What is it, then? What do you desire?"

Kotone reached into her cape and showed him Dahn's photo. "His name is Dahn. Perhaps you've seen him?"

The foreigner barely looked at the photo. Instead, he fixed the tie between his collar and stared at her intently. "The fact that you and I met here, that I served as your 'spark'… This is what you'd call fortunate, yes?"

"To an extent, I suppose," Kotone replied, unsure as to what the young man wanted to hear from her. "Why do you ask?"

It also seemed as if the foreigner had made it a point to give completely non-sequitur answers. "I've seen that man," he said, staring at the photo with obvious disinterest, "at the place your people call Fukagawa-Cho."

Gouto sighed. "Finally, a lucky break in the case."

"Indeed."

Kotone glanced up at the foreigner in surprise. "Excuse me?"

"Ah, I was only thinking to myself," he said with a smirk. "I have provided you with your 'spark'. Shouldn't you be on your way?"

* * *

"The Daikoku-Yu bathhouse…" Lilim read with a dreamy tone in her voice, floating around Kotone before the establishment, "I have fond memories of this place."

"I certainly don't," said Gouto, frowning. "I don't appreciate my only female descendant so far running around in but a towel."

"Satake seemed impressed enough," Lilim huffed. "It was my idea, you know. And we got his information thanks to it!"

"We know," said the devil summoner between them, heaving a sigh and approaching the façade. If there was anyone who knew where to find missing people, it was Satake. She wouldn't put it past him to be the cause of some missing cases, either. Reaching the entrance, Kotone greeted two familiar faces with a bow. "Good afternoon."

"Hey, if it ain't Raidou!" exclaimed the guard at the right. "It's been a while! Where have you been?"

"Training in the country," replied Kotone. "And you?"

"Standing guard, y'know," said the guard at the left. "Ha ha, I still remember that fight you had with some of our guys a year ago…they still can't believe they got beat by a high school girl…"

"They shouldn't dwell on it," said Kotone with a small smile. Although the clan tenets taught that pride would be a summoner's undoing, she found satisfaction in having beaten two Kantou Haguro-gumi punks. "Is Satake in?"

"Yeah…" the singular expression of the guards turned sour. "But he's not in a good mood. I wouldn't go in there if I were you."

Kotone pursed her lips, turning her back on them and facing Gouto. "Satake might not respond to me even if I give him a good beating."

"You don't always need to beat the answers out of people," Lilim sighed. "Haven't any of our fights together taught you anything, Kotone? Come on, just get into the bathhouse. I'll take care of things – even if you still haven't gotten rid of that habit of stuffing me back in my tube while I'm still talking..."

"Didn't you hear the guards?" asked Gouto. "The king of the goons isn't feeling peachy. If we burst in on him now, he'll probably chew Kotone's head off."

Lilim lowered herself to block Kotone's vision of Gouto. "Kotone, do you trust me?"

"Of course," replied the summoner, albeit somewhat reluctantly. "What's on your mind?"

"I'll tell you once we're inside," said the demon, attempting to push Kotone into the bathhouse. "Stay here, Gouto."

Kotone sighed. She did want to get back to the Agency early, and if she wrapped things up with this case quick, maybe she could even catch the stars on the roof tonight before falling dead asleep. Turning back to the guards, she said, "I'll do my best to, er, avoid getting him angrier."

One of them sighed. "I don't know, Raidou…but okay. Get in."

"Oh, please take care of Gouto for a moment," she said, motioning to the cat, who glared up at the guards.

"Sure thing, Raidou." The guard at the left bent down and beckoned to Gouto. "Come on, little kitty…"

"Meowr!" Gouto hissed, scratching at his face. Lilim shoved Kotone inside before she could intervene.

After some protest, Kotone strolled into the changing room with Lilim giggling quietly at her side. "Lilim, what are you planning?"

"Just follow my lead," said the girl, helping Kotone undress. "Ooh, you've really been training hard, haven't you? Your shape has really improved. And you're growing!"

"If you don't mind, I don't want to hear this."

"Oh, it was just a compliment! I don't toss those out every day, you know."

Kotone shook her head and went into the bathhouse. It was as steamy as she remembered, and it was starting to get hotter with her nerves. Satake wasn't the kind to get beaten into giving out information. He was impressed by her strength before, but he had been in a good mood then. And he was probably too surprised at her wearing a cap and being a female to bother with being annoyed. She didn't know how he was when he wasn't happy, but judging by the reactions of his goons, he was something to be feared. Well, so was she, Lilim insisted, but Kotone had always left the calming down bit of the negotiations to her demons.

"Everyone's staring at me again," Kotone stated, covering her chest with her arms though she was in a towel. She could always sic the men with a nice dose of Mamudo, but that wouldn't be fair. "And Satake is in a bad mood. Why did I allow you to talk me into this?"

"Because I'm one of the best negotiators on the team," Lilim sighed, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Now come on, there's Satake. Ooh, he's gotten so much manlier since we last saw him, don't you think?"

"Shh," shushed Kotone, wading through the water to reach the king of the goons. To be fair, his tattoos were intimidating, and added to his brutish charm…but he was frowning, his gaze distant and his arms crossed.

"Hello, Satake. How have you been?"

The well-inked man snapped out of his thoughts and stared up at Kotone. He looked surprised for a moment until he realized who she was, and sighed. "A woman in the bathhouse wearing a school cap… Shoulda figured it'd be you, Kuzunoha."

"It's nice to see you again," Kotone said, forcing a smile. "You look well."

"Yeah, yeah, and you've gotten curvy. So what's so important you gotta bug a man like me when I'm in the tub?"

Kotone's face flushed at his straightforwardness. No one had ever commented on her femininity before (it was usually on her lack of it). Lilim, on the other hand, clapped her hands merrily. "He noticed your figure! It means he sees you as a woman now. This'll be easy, Kotone."

"Hey, Kuzunoha, hello," said Satake, waving a hand in her face. Kotone turned back to him apologetically. "Don't waste my time. What do you want?"


	2. She's a Lady

"Oh. Here." Raidou showed the yakuza boss the picture she was holding. "I'm on a missing persons case. He's missing. The name is Dahn. Have you seen him?"

Satake looked away in irritation, crossing his arms again. "Now tell me, Kuzunoha… If you were taking a soak and someone barged in on you, coming on like a state interrogator, how would that make you feel? Not happy, am I right?"

Raidou frowned at Lilim, floating behind Satake. Things were swiftly going downhill. "I suppose I—"

"So get that photo outta my face." Kotone withdrew it slowly. "I guess it ain't your day today, Kuzunoha. You caught me in a real low mood. If it's a favor you're after, show a little respect. A gift or two to sugarcoat things might be nice. If you bring me something tasty, maybe things'll be different."

"Oh, he wants something tasty," Lilim tapped her chin, a sly smile enveloping her features. "We'll give him something tasty." Unable to speak with her before Satake, Raidou gave Lilim an urgent look. "Wrap your arm around his and say his name slowly."

Kotone gave the slightest cringe. In Raidou Kuzunoha the 14th terms, this meant complete and utter horror. Lilim knew this.

"Just do as I say, Kotone," said Lilim, sighing. "Come on, trust me. He may have been able to defeat a Yomi-Kugutsu, but not even he can resist a lady's charm! Now repeat everything I tell you to say. Dip forward a bit, then sit down, take his arm, and say his name slooowly. Kenzou Satake, right? I definitely remember those pecs from before."

Kotone grimaced inwardly. Well, Lilim  _had_  gotten her out of more tight situations than she could count, but her trust in Lilim wasn't the issue – it was her trust in her own negotiation skills that posed the problem. Still, she followed. Dipping forward slowly, she sat down beside Satake and took him by the arm.

"Kuzunoha, what the hell—"

"Kenzou…"

Satake stopped, his eyes widening. Lilim continued to coach Raidou.

"I'm sorry I barged in on you like this," Raidou said throatily, putting on a dismayed expression. Her mimicry of Lilim was near perfect. "I had just…gotten back from training in the village and…I…" It was all the devil summoner could do not to reach over and pluck Lilim's tail off for making her do this, or kick herself for actually listening to the demon. "And I…just couldn't wait to see you again."

Satake took a huge gulp. "Kuzunoha—"

"Kenzou…" Raidou repeated, and Lilim was thankful Satake confused her friend's horror with a look of need, "I really missed you. Didn't you miss… me? I've grown a lot since we last met – here…"

Satake seemed petrified as Raidou took his arm and wrapped it around her waist. Resisting the urge to close her eyes and imagine she was in a better place (the Akarana corridor, Waden One, anything), she pressed her hands against his chest and smoothed them over it fondly.

"Kuzuno—"

She leaned closer to silence him, pushing herself up so they were almost face-to-face, and held her lips below his, barely breathing. "I don't have anything on me but this towel… I'm sorry… Can I…Can I…"

"K-Kuzu…"

Raidou breathed heavily. "Can I give you…something  _else_  to make things better?"

Satake's half-lidded eyes glazed over for a moment, his throat drying up, before his eyebrows furrowed and he released Kotone. "Damn it."

Raidou glanced at Lilim in confusion.

Satake kneaded his right temple with his fist. "Damn it!"

"Satake?"

The young yakuza boss uncovered his face and took her in, from her eyes down past her figure in the water. "You – you're just a clever little thing, aren't you?"

Raidou knew – as Narumi would say – the jig was up. "Why? Did you fall for it?"

"Almost," Satake shrugged. "I'd love to have you right now, kid. But you're jailbait. And that is a no-no for Kenzou Satake."

That was a relief to the Great Summoner. That was as far as Kotone could have taken things, in any case. "So…"

Satake laughed. "What, Kuzunoha, did you think riling me up a little was gonna get you what you wanted?"

According to Lilim, however, negotiations were never over. Reluctantly, Raidoudelicately placed a hand on his arm. "What  _do_  I want, Kenzou?"

Satake shut his eyes and removed Kotone from his person. "Don't ever say I did nothin' for you, kid." Raidou's eyes lit up, though her expression showed nothing but her usual composure. "Yeah, I figured that'd make you happy, you little devil…"

"That's a compliment," Lilim winked.

"All right," said Raidou, eagerly giving Satake back his personal space, "what can you tell me about Dahn?"

"Nothin' much. I've never seen this one before," said Satake, cracking his knuckles tensely. "Looks like an outsider to me – Goro Tatsumi in Mannen-Cho's been dealing with their bunch, or so I hear. Ask that lucky bastard if you really want the skinny on them."

"Goro Tatsumi in Mannen-Cho. All right." Raidou rose, once more covering the drenched towel over her chest as she bowed. "Thank you for your help, Satake."

"Yeah, yeah," he rolled his eyes and watched her go. She really was still a kid – she didn't sway her hips or do anything tantalizing now that she had what she wanted. But who knew there would be a woman somewhere inside the little brat he met last year? "Hey, Kuzunoha."

The devil summoner whirled. "Yes?"

"Come back in a few years?"

Raidou paused. "You would wait?"

Satake smirked. "You'd accept?"

Kotone surprised herself by giving it some thought. Her mother  _did_ want a tall, strong, handsome man as her daughter's husband, and it looked like Satake was swayed enough by her feigned charm to be good to her. On the other hand, her father wanted a devil summoner for a son-in-law, certainly not a yakuza boss. And were all those tattoos really good for him?

"Kotone!" scolded her great ancestor. "I can't believe you're considering this!"

"How did  _you_  get in here?" Lilim put her hands to her hips.

"B-boss, sorry, it just pounced in!" said the guard at the door, now in the bathhouse. He backed off when Gouto hissed at him.

Satake ignored the eyes of his consigliere, his crew, and the rest of the outsiders for the time being. "What'll it be, Kuzunoha?"

"We'll see in a few years," said Kotone, honestly wondering if she would still be alive by then. Or if he would. Piles of dead bodies from her vision at the Akarana Corridor came to mind, but she brushed the image away. "Thank you, Satake."

Satake waved the guard away, nodding at Kotone in acknowledgement. "Say hi to Narumi for me, okay?"

"I will." Raidou exited the bathhouse quickly. Although no one besides Lilim could actually hear Gouto scolding her, she still felt embarrassed being yelled at in front of a lot of people, most of whom were already watching her.

Back at the bathhouse, everyone stared at Satake, who sneered. "What did I say about buggin' me during my bath time?"

Only his consigliere was brave enough to approach him. "But boss – Narumi's apprentice?"

Satake shrugged, closing his eyes and leaning back against the wall smugly. "What can I say? She wants me."

* * *

"…and is that what they taught you in the village?" Gouto finished, his breathing heavy and his blood pressure rising. He hadn't witnessed the whole spectacle, but word traveled fast among Satake's men, and as soon as Kotone started touching Satake, the guards outside knew. Gossip these days was much more detailed than he remembered, too, and he wouldn't have a descendant of his waltzing around, resorting to the wiles of Lilith's children!

"I'm sorry, Gouto," said Kotone, bowing to the cat over and over again as they moved toward Mannen-Cho. "But we needed that information, quick. And you are fully aware that I wasn't going to marry him."

"You were thinking about it. I'm beginning to think Narumi should be accompanying you on these investigations."

"No," said Kotone. "I was just distracted for a few seconds. I know that's enough to be killed in battle, but it won't happen again. And you know father would never approve of a yakuza boss, anyway."

"No, he wouldn't," Gouto said with crushing finality.

Lilim stuck a tongue out at Gouto behind his back. "I think you did a great job, Kotone, especially for your first time."

"Don't encourage her, Lilim."

Half an hour's walk later, Mannen-Cho's gates were in sight. Kotone had never seen the guards before, but she hoped word indeed traveled fast enough for Satake's approval of her presence to reach their ears.

"Whoa, kid." One of the guards blocked her way when she tried to walk past them. "Name?"

"Raidou Kuzunoha the 14th," said the summoner perfunctorily, "working on a case in Shouhei Narumi's stead."

"Look, kid, even if you're working for that detective and all that, you gotta have Mr. Satake's go—"

A lady in a kimono approached the guard from behind, eyes steadily focused on Kotone. She whispered something in the guard's ear before stepping back.

"Ohhh," the guard's chuckle grew to a laugh, "so  _you_ 're the frail who's been romancin' Mr. Satake, eh?" He eyed her appraisingly with the rest of his colleagues before shaking his head. "The boss sure has weird taste. Well, get in."

"Weird taste?" Gouto repeated the feline facepalm. "If this gets back to the village…"

"Oh, it'll die down eventually," said Lilim, patting Gouto comfortingly with a flick of her tail.

Kotone thanked the guard, reminding herself that as Protector of the Capital, she was well above summoning Nue and having him crush the guards with a single heave of his posterior or a little Shock Wave just because they called her odd. It was too bad; she liked throwing Nue's weight around. And she was no frail.

"Follow me," said the lady who had helped her through the guards, leading her past some little shacks. "Mr. Satake sent word that you were to be brought to the gambling parlor to…as he said, 'ease his troubles'."

"Really?" Kotone drew some interest from that. Had Satake wanted her out of his hair that badly? Maybe Lilim was smarter than she thought. "Please send my gratitude to Satake, then."

The lady smiled at first, almost unsurely, and stopped before the gambling parlor. She held the door shut, however. "Wait. Before you enter…"

"What now?" Gouto sighed.

The lady leaned closer to whisper, "How did you do it, Miss Kuzunoha?"

Kotone stared at her curiously. "Do what?"

"Ensnare Mr. Satake, of course." The lady looked desperate. "The man is all business. He's never even touched a girl from the Red Light district, and here you are, a high school girl without any experience in what we do, and he lets you touch him in all the right places."

"You touched him where?" Gouto gasped. Lilim doubled over at the thought of the cat having a heart attack.

"I didn't touch him anywhere inappropriate," Kotone said quietly, though Lilim knew that this was already her in a panic. If Narumi found out about this – if the Yatagarasu found out – would she be commended for going lengths to finish an investigation, or would they strip her of her title? She enjoyed her work and the company it ensured too much to let them go because of a simple mistake in a bathhouse. "And I don't think I  _ensnared_  him, as you say, miss."

"Oh, apologies," said the lady, bowing to her slightly, though she was clearly older. "Please don't tell Mr. Satake I asked. It's not just me who's curious – it's the rest of the girls in the district. Because – honestly, getting on Mr. Satake's good side is the one of the best things that can happen to anyone in the Capital. The only way for us to do that is to have him want us, obviously, but it would seem you beat us to the punch, Miss Kuzunoha."

Kotone sensed some contempt from the woman, but she didn't believe Satake would actually wait for her to break out of her teens before finally taking a woman for himself. He was much too proud and invested in his business for such a thing. "…Sorry?" she offered.

"No need to apologize," said the lady. "Some girls just have all the luck…"

"Speaking of luck," Gouto spoke, having finally recovered, "our purpose here?"

"Oh, yes. Miss, have you seen a man named Goro Tatsumi around here?"

At the mention of Tatsumi, the lady cringed. "Oh, that one? You just missed him. He usually stays past sundown just gambling these days, collecting all he can, but he went home relatively early today. Said he wanted to spend some of his earnings for a change…"

Kotone frowned. "Will he be back tomorrow?"

"Certainly. Listen, there's a rumor going around that he wins so much because he's in cahoots with us, but it's not true. If Mr. Satake needed it, we would help him for sure, but Tatsumi? No way. His luck is the real deal. It's pretty annoying…"

"I see…thank you, miss," said Kotone, bowing slightly. "I'll come back for him tomorrow."

"All right. Oh, Miss Kuzunoha?"

"Yes?"

"Could you put in a good word for us here working the gambling parlor?"

"Uh…" She tried to ignore Gouto's tongue clicking. "I won't be seeing Satake in a while, I think. But I will try when I see him again."

"Thank you," the lady sighed in relief, bowing in return. "Tomorrow then, Miss Kuzunoha."

"Tomorrow," Kotone agreed, and scurried back to the train station before any more of Satake's people could ask her for favors. Was this the sort of life Satake lived? It was no wonder he was in a sour mood.

* * *

Kotone and Gouto arrived in Yarai-Ku a little after sundown, bearing gifts for the man who spent for their lodgings. Lilim had returned to her tube earlier on, saying something about spreading the good news of another of her 'triumphs.' After all, being friends with a devil summoner had never meant letting go of one's avarice.

"We're home," Kotone called out, hanging her key on the rack. Narumi had always locked the door after dark, and if Gouto had seen the right signs last year, there was now one more person with a key to the Agency besides the detective and their protégée.

"Raidou. Gouto." Narumi was on the couch, his shoes on the floor, his socks exposed, and his head on the armrest. "How goes the search?"

"Dull. We bought dinner," said Kotone, dropping the food on the table. "Because Gouto knew you wouldn't."

"Good thing he's clairvoyant," Narumi mumbled, before allowing his assistant's words to register. He was up in a flash, sitting by the dinner table. "Hey, dinner!"

Kotone nodded, taking plates and utensils from the kitchen. "How's your headache, boss?"

"Better," replied Narumi, evenly distributing the food amongst the three of them. "Enough to join you tomorrow."

Kotone cleared her throat and began to eat. "No, it's all right, boss."

"Oh, I insist," said Narumi, a smirk playing on his lips. After moments of silence, he continued. "Lady Satake."

Gouto groaned.

Kotone asked, "What?"

"Word travels fast, remember?" Narumi shook his head. Kotone wasn't sure if he was disappointed or just amused. He didn't either. "I phoned Satake to make sure…and he says he definitely didn't start that nonsense. I doubt you did, either, but something must have happened to get all this talk going."

Kotone kept on eating.

"Do you want to tell me what happ–"

"I just visited him in the bathhouse," Kotone said quickly. "But he was in a bad mood. He wanted something tasty. I may have let one of my demons convince me to – are you all right, boss?"

Narumi had gone into a coughing fit after hearing the word  _tasty_. Kotone thumped him on the back, but Gouto could only laugh. "My reaction exactly."

"I didn't do anything inappropriate," Kotone insisted, wondering how such a small decision could have brought things so far. Even her hand-to-hand fight with those two punks from before wasn't blown up to this extent. "I just used a little... _lady's charm_ " –the words felt foreign on her lips– "with the help of a friend. Satake's response wasn't dirty; he just gave me the information we needed, and then I left…"

"I don't know. The look Gouto's giving me tells me not to believe every word you're saying."

"Boss, Satake may have actually treated me like a woman and not a brat for the first time, but–"

"You don't have to keep explaining yourself, of course," said Narumi, decidedly amused now. "I have a funny feeling Gouto already gave you enough haranguing to last you a year. Besides, now that word's gotten 'round about big, bad Satake waiting for a little girl to grow up, he can't just throw the blanket over it. Most people don't get how he's business-oriented, so saying he doesn't like you now is saying he doesn't like dames, and–" Narumi snickered. "He can't have that. And you know what that means for us."

Kotone's countenance brightened. "Special treatment from his cronies."

Narumi grinned. "There you go. But Satake has his enemies – and it's an age old tactic, cowardly though it may be, to go through the dames to get to their men. You're the closest thing they think he has to a weakness, and you know he isn't going to waste any goons keeping you safe, especially since you beat two of them in a fistfight last year. So be careful."

"All right, boss," said Kotone, finishing her food. Having been surrounded by older male teachers in the village growing up, she had grown accustomed to eating swiftly. She stood with her empty plate, but Narumi pulled her down.

"I'll handle the dishes today, Raidou," he said, waving her away dismissively. "After all, it was your treat. Not that you should get used to this…"

"Thank you, boss. I'll be up on the rooftop if you need me."

"Watching the stars again, huh? Don't stay up too late; we have a busy day ahead of us."

"Sure, boss."

When Kotone was gone, Narumi looked at Gouto. "You really let her in there without supervision?" he chuckled, shaking his head. "I didn't expect that from you, Gouto."

"I didn't know she was going to  _seduce_  him!" Gouto scoffed indignantly, though no one could understand him. "Who knows what occurs in the minds of teenage girls and their demons?"

"Yeah, I gotcha," said Narumi. He didn't, not technically, but he had an idea of the ire Gouto was trying to get across. Kotone had told him before that the soul in the cat was the first ever Raidou Kuzunoha, but that didn't mean he had any experience guiding teenage girls through their decisions. Even when it was Raidou. "Coffee?"

* * *

"KOTONEEEEE!" Nue's voice rumbled, the red dots on his face – eyes, Kotone had nearly forgotten – stretching out into joyful lines as he wrapped his arms around her. Kotone was crushed amidst all the yellow and brown, but she welcomed it and buried her face in his fur. "I MISS YOU, SUMMONER."

"As did I," said a silky smooth voice, its owner bowing like a true gentleman. Wavy blue hair over his simple robes, Dominion placed a hand on Nue's arm, prompting the beast to release their old friend. His eyes shone red even in the lack of moonlight, and his pallid smile was still genuine, however empty it may have looked to an outsider.

"I missed you too," said Kotone, shaking Dominion's hand, knowing an embrace would be too much for the demon. "How have you been?"

"ME THINK WE NEVER SEE SUMMONER AGAIN," Nue sobbed, rubbing his eyes roughly. "WHY YOU LEAVE LONG, KOTONE?"

"I was training," she explained, brushing Nue's fur. Her father had never let her keep a pet with the reason that she would grow too accustomed to its docility. Dogs, he insisted, were nothing like demons, but Nue came close to one, when he wasn't destroying his own kind for the sake of their friendship. The clan had forbidden her from releasing her demons during the interim to ensure both that she kept to her studies and trained using her own strength instead of theirs. "I'm sorry for such a long absence."

"ME UNDERSTAND," said Nue, settling down on the roof. More of a worrywart than their friend, Dominion looked relieved. He didn't want the detective's roof falling apart, after all, or Kotone and Gouto would have no place to stay. Wrapping his snake tail around Kotone, Nue made her rest beside him as she did in days long past. "WE FIGHT AGAIN, SUMMONER?"

"Not tonight, Nue," said Dominion, lying down beside the beast. "Do you remember when we watched the stars one by one, long ago?"

Nue nodded at the older demon and looked up. At the million eyes twinkling in the night sky, he smiled, happily baring his jagged teeth. "ME REMEMBER! KOTONE SAY STARS MAKE SHAPES, YES?"

"They do," said Kotone, enjoying the familiar sound of their voices. Each demon of hers had a partner – a best friend, she could even say – Lilim and Leanan Sidhe, for example, and Nue and Dominion. Now that she was powerful enough to summon two of them at a time without straining herself, they could fight side by side, more powerful than ever. "Do you see that one over there, to the left? It's a dung beetle."

"NOOOO," Nue sniggered, "IT  _DUNG_."

"I would say it looks like a grasshopper."

"Dominion," said the summoner, "grasshoppers hardly look like dung beetles."

The angel shrugged. "It isn't uncommon, is it, for two people to see things differently?"

There was a ghost of a smile on Raidou's lips. "Right."

Nue shook with laughter. "DOMINION HUMBLE SUMMONER."

Kotone reached for a tube on her chest. "It may be time for you to sleep tonight, Nue."

"NO! NO!" Nue covered his mouth. "ME GOOD DEMON!"

* * *

The following morning was busy. The  _luck_  issue was growing, and the little crack between the lucky and the unlucky had widened enough to become a gaping, black hole. Oddly enough, Narumi, Gouto, and Raidou stood in the middle of it, unsure as to whether they were lucky or unlucky – they were on a fine median, Narumi insisted, a golden mean, but had he known how far the scales would tip against their favor that day, he might have been a little less smug.

The three were in Mannen-Cho as soon as the gambling parlor opened. Luckily enough, so was Goro Tatsumi.

"There he is, miss," whispered the lady from yesterday, "The one with the hat and the blue suit and that churlish stubble at the far end of the room. You can tell he isn't classy like Mr. Satake – but he sure as hell is lucky."

Raidou nodded gratefully before crouching beside Narumi, who had taken to watching one of the tables. Though he was on the lookout for anyone who might be an enemy of Satake, he reveled in the attention the man's people showered upon him. They offered him sake, a table with the worst gamblers in the house, and even women – he turned them all down, of course, because he was a modern man who liked coffee, he didn't gamble if he could help it, he liked to charm the dames his own way, and because he simply enjoyed having all these offered to him over and over again.

"Boss," said Raidou, ignoring his overjoyed grin as he turned another offer for sake down, "there's Goro Tatsumi. Will you speak with him?"

Narumi followed his ward's gaze and grimaced. He could see the arrogance in the man's posture, though he did remind him of a monkey somehow. He was going to have to restrain himself if he was going to deal with Tatsumi. It looked like his breath smelled, too. "Nah," he said, "you can take care of it, can't you?"

Narumi's magic words. One of the ladies found Raidou a seat beside Tatsumi, who gave the devil summoner an amused once-over. "This is a gambling parlor," he said with a smirk Gouto would have liked to smack off his face, "It's no place for a field trip."

"You're Mr. Tatsumi, aren't you?" the summoner replied, taking on the blond foreigner's tactics. She refrained from wrinkling her nose at the whirling mist caused by the cigarettes.

The man scratched on his hat uncomfortably. "What? You wanna shake my hand or something, kid? What the heck do you want?"

Slipping a hand into her cape and taking Dahn's photo, Raidou held it to his face. "I'm looking for this man."

"Wait." The confusion on his face was so laughable, Gouto couldn't help but snicker. "You're here about  _him_? Nothing to do with me…?" Somehow, the confusion flickered swiftly into irritation. "…I've changed my mind. Get that photo outta my face. Entertain me a bit, then I'll think about talking to you."

She had to admit – the Satake business had its advantages. As soon as Tatsumi had spoken that way to her, the dealer whispered something urgent to him, her eyes wide – his stance afterward remained arrogant, but at least he dropped the disdain.

Tatsumi frowned and adjusted his collar. "Well…I guess I should be honored Satake's" –he coughed– "little girl is taking an interest in me. I'm Goro Tatsumi."

Raidou held the photo to his face again.

"Oh, that photo? Sure, lemme take a good look-see…" As soon as Tatsumi squinted at the picture, he personified panic. Kotone didn't think the man looked  _that_  terrifying – in fact, he looked much better in person, and though now she realized just how suspicious she should have been of him, he didn't look as much of a brute as Narumi and the rest of the people on the street insisted. "I – I don't know him," Tatsumi finally spoke, trying to wave the picture away. "Nope, n-never met him…"

"Really?" Raidou pretended to think hard. "Satake told me to ask  _you_  about him, Mr. Tatsumi."

"I – uh – can't imagine why!" Tatsumi exclaimed. "Why would I know a bumpkin like that? Hey, l-lady," he said to the dealer, his fingers noticeably shaking, "deal me another one!"

"Hold the phone," said Gouto. "How can he call Dahn a bumpkin if he's only seen him in a photograph? I'd wager this Tatsumi knows more about Dahn than he's letting on – but he won't spill it willingly, that's for sure. Even if we ask him straight out, he'll just feed us a line. So…"

"Understood," Raidou mumbled, taking a tube from her chest, and released Lilim behind her. Breaking out into a coughing fit, she ordered, "Read blue's mind to me, Gouto, and boss."

"Got it," said Lilim, sultrily grinning from ear to ear, and flew behind her target. Making a few choice facial expressions, she muttered some words and pointed to Tatsumi, then to Raidou, Gouto, and Narumi.

Narumi thought his ears had popped. Every sound seemed muffled; all but one voice that amplified itself among the rest: "Wh-Why does a student have a picture of him?" it gasped, its pitch higher than what seemed to be normal for a grown man. "Maybe… when I got drunk, I blabbed… C-Can't be! There's  _no_  way this kid knows about the insect…!"

All the while, Gouto and Raidou were staring at Tatsumi intently. He had known that she could read minds with the use of her demons; was she giving him a taste of that? It was interesting. Had she ever used it on him?

"Insect?" said Gouto, "We caught him in an outright lie, and he's thinking about some bug? Something's fishy here."

"I agree," said Lilim, "Let's read his mind some more."

"That'll do," said Raidou, and returned Lilim to her tube.

Having sensed the girl and her cat staring at him for the past minute, Tatsumi turned to her, his panic mixing dangerously with irritation. "Wh-what?" he demanded. "What're you still doing here, huh? Kids should be home doing homework!"

"Mr. Tatsumi," the dealer said, "please calm down…"

"Mr. Tatsumi, what if I know about the insect?"

Tatsumi dropped his cards. On the other side of the room, Narumi stood up warily. Scrambling to his feet, Tatsumi took his money and darted to the door; Narumi managed to grab him, but somehow – he was sure his palms weren't sweaty, and the material of Tatsumi's suit was rough in comparison to his own, but – the man managed to slip away.

Narumi, Gouto, and Raidou bolted out after him as he went deeper into Mannen-Cho. "He's rabbiting," said the cat, sprinting. "At least we know he's hiding something big!"

"Guess he's in cahoots…with our boy Dahn, huh?" Narumi panted, holding on to his hat. "All we have to do now is…make him spill…the beans about him… Wow, I…haven't had this much…exercise in a while!"

"I'm not surprised," said Gouto, "what with all the legwork he makes you do."

"What…was that, Gouto?"

"Gouto cannot believe you're more out of shape than a cat."

"Hey!"

"That isn't what I said…"

They followed Tatsumi into another house, where a plump man stood guard to the back exit.

"Excuse us," Narumi said, attempting to get through, but the plump man blocked his way.

"Who are you?" said the man, "Only Mr. Tatsumi's allowed through here."

Narumi gnawed on his lip. "We don't have time for this…"

Raidou reached for a tube. "Gozuki," she said to the blue bull in green, "put him to sleep."

Narumi blinked. "What? There's no need to shed blood here–"

An unknown force knocked the man over his head with its fist.

"Thank you, Gozuki."

"No problem, man! Glad you're back!" said the bull, picking up his axe and saluting to the devil summoner with a grin, and returned to his tube.

Narumi whistled at the man on the floor. Whatever Raidou's demon did had done the job. "Well, he's still breathing. Nice job, Raidou. Come on!"

Gouto sighed as they broke into another sprint. "Kotone, you could have just used Leanan to transform into Tatsumi. I took a lock of his hair from the gambling parlor just in case, see?"

"Seeing two of Goro Tatsumi would have been as odd as falling unconscious due to a mysterious headache," Raidou reasoned.

Ahead of them was a tiny dock descending into the rushing river. Tatsumi leaned over the railings, contemplating on whether to jump or face his pursuers.

"You've cornered yourself," Narumi pointed out, crossing his arms. "What's wrong, can't answer a few questions? Why are you so concerned about some insect?"

"How could I be so unlucky?" Tatsumi cried to himself, still backing away.

Raidou took a step forward– "What do you know about–agh!" – and slipped on a banana peel.

"R-Raidou!" Narumi gasped, unsure if he should laugh or worry as he moved to help his assistant, but slipped on a banana peel just as clumsily.

Tatsumi shook with relief. "Huh...? I've only seen that happen in movies! Slipping on a banana peel…? Really? Anyway, I guess I'm still lucky!" He ran past the two and laughed. "Maybe you should send your moms after me instead – they might be a little quicker on the draw!"

"I should've caught that," said Gouto, nudging Raidou up with his head. "Sorry. Stupid banana peel…"

"Where did these even come from?" Narumi dusted himself off and pulled Kotone to her feet. "Let's go, Raidou. I need to  _thank_  Tatsumi for that bit of business. No one talks about us that way…"

"Agreed," said Raidou, running past the curious townspeople into a clearing with a well and a vicious chicken. "Where did he go?"

"Excuse me!" a man screamed. His voice came from the more decorated section of Mannen-Cho, where most of Fukagawa-Cho's working girls were given lodging. "That's my house!"

"Up there," said Narumi, following the shriek. Going up some steps, he saw a woman in a kimono banging on the doors of a house. He wondered if the bright pink and yellow lanterns lining that row of houses deceived him, but – was that the person whose voice had led them here?

"You bastard!" the kimono woman screamed, only – she had the voice of a man. Narumi wondered why he was even surprised; this was the twentieth century, after all.

"Excuse us," Narumi repeated, gingerly moving the person away from the door and ignoring his screams of protest. "Raidou, in here!"

It was total darkness inside the house, and Raidou seemed to lose the door as soon as she closed it. She managed to find Narumi's back, however, by crashing her nose into it. Gouto managed to bump into her leg just as well.

"We'll never find him in the dark like this," the cat hissed. "Damn Tatsumi!"

"I didn't expect the inside to be completely dark," said Tatsumi, his voice filled with glee. "Lucky meeee!" he cheered. "Hey, I know you're there. Can you see me? Can you catch me?"

"Then again, Tatsumi can't see us either. He has to be close by," said Gouto, attempting to paw the numbness off his face. "I'm sure if we grope around the dark enough, we'll find him."

Raidou grabbed Narumi's arm and moved to her left, only to lose her footing and fall back against the detective. As he fell cursing somewhere in the dark, Narumi felt something soft and hairy under his left ankle, but something on his knee hindered his movement.

"Ngreeeeowr!" he heard Gouto cry out, and he didn't need a translation to know what that meant.

"Kotone," Gouto screeched, "move…move your foot!"

"That isn't my foot," Raidou replied, groping around for some leverage. She felt like the Great Tarrasque kicked over on his shell. "Boss, I think your foot is on Gouto's tail."

"My tail…" Gouto cried out, "M-Move your foot!"

"Move your foot, boss," Raidou repeated, leaning her arm on something firm enough to support her.

"M-Move your hand…!" Narumi yelled at her, reaching over from under the rubble of – whatever it was he had knocked over to slap her arm away. "Raidou, I think your leg is on my leg!"

"What? What?" came Tatsumi's voice, "I heard a cat? Kind of…screaming…"

"Shut your…" Narumi grumbled, making sure to keep Kotone's hands away from him. "Raidou, your leg!"

"Please… that foot…my tail's…going to rip!"

Raidou moved both her legs, still attempting to at least sit up, and Narumi managed to get off Gouto's tail. But the detective hit his head on something as soon as he sat up, and dragged Raidou by the arm down with him in an attempt to keep from falling again.

"Gahh!" Gouto screeched again, "Kotone, but I'm a cat, not a cushion…hurry and get up, I'm getting squished…you're heavy!"

"Gouto is asking if you've gained a bit of weight," Raidou told Narumi, whom she sensed was near her face. The buttons on his suit were digging into her shoulder, but his chest was enough support for her to stand.

"Owww, Raidou!"

"My whiskers…!"

"I'm outta here!" Tatsumi cheered, finally opening the door. The lantern lights didn't flood the room, but they did provide for some sight. "How lucky can one guy be!? Oh," the gambler added, laughing at them over his shoulder before he left, "and your mom's so fat, she makes Mount Fuji look like an anthill!"

"How dare you…" Kotone growled under her breath, taking her sword out and stretching her neck. She would have given chase, but she slipped on a book and fell – until Narumi grabbed her arm and pulled her back up.

Finally on their feet, Gouto and Narumi checked if their body parts were still intact. When all was well, the cat shook his head shamefully. "That was the most humiliating thing I've ever…"

"Come on," said Narumi, watching the murderous twist of Kotone's lips, "I can't believe we've lost him twice already…! What is with all the lucky breaks this guy keeps getting?"

"They seem almost unnatural," said Raidou, frowning. She was trained not to bat an eyelash at even the most unnerving situations, but no one would speak of  _her_  mother that way. Anger seemed reasonable. "But it can't be the work of a demon – we would know."

"My thoughts exactly," said Gouto, jumping out into the street and meowing for the other two to follow. "Kotone, ask this wom – er, man – oh, just ask them where he went!"

Raidou turned to the kimono person with wide eyes. "Miss, where did Tatsumi go?"

"This is unheard of! The police is going to hear about this…!" the person cried out, but at the sight of Narumi and Raidou's disheveled clothing – his hat, her cape – and the urgent, aggravated look in their eyes, she smiled sweetly and pointed north. "Oh, he went that way."

"Let's pick up the pace," said Narumi, going past another row of houses. "He's lost us twice – there can't be a third time."

"There, up on the roof!" Gouto shouted. Above them to the right, Tatsumi was panting. They wondered if he even knew where he was running.

"He's going to such lengths to lose us," Raidou said, following Gouto's guiding tail. "If this ends with us slipping on a banana peel…on a roof…"

Narumi was already on the rickety ladder going up. For a second, he thought he'd fall. "Come on, up, up, up!"

"Ngreeeeeeowr!" Gouto cried out, tears lining his eyes as Raidou tossed him into the air.

"Raidou, are you trying to kill Gouto?" Narumi balanced himself on the roof in an attempt to catch the cat, but a rush of wind sent him sliding back.

"He's all right, boss," Raidou reassured him, having sent Aeros flying out of his tube to soften her mentor's fall. "I would never let you down on purpose, Gouto," she promised. "And don't cats always land on their feet?"

"Since when has the Kuzunoha training entailed sadism?" Gouto wheezed, pawing at his poor heart and waving Aeros away thankfully. "You're lucky I've ridden a rocket already, or…"

"No time—" Raidou ran past Narumi and leapt over the gap to reach the next roof, her cape billowing behind her. The detective wondered how she kept that school cap on her head without even lifting a finger, but decided that Tatsumi was a more pressing issue.

"Maybe you should have jumped into the river instead," Narumi said when they found Tatsumi cornered against the last roof, after which there was only the hard ground to leap toward. "Why make this hard for yourself? All you gotta do is answer a few questions and things'll be peachy between us."

Tatsumi crouched down and stuck his head in between his knees. "N-No, this can't be…!"

"Oh, but it–"

The world around them began to shift – flow, even, as though they were engulfed in water – and their vision blurred. Kotone clawed at her eyes. Tears? No, she certainly hadn't cried since she thought Gouto died a year ago.

When the shifting stopped, there were two men clothed all in black blocking their way to Tatsumi. There were beetle horns on top of the masks they wore, and red boxes tightly strapped to their hips.

"Who…" muttered the first masked man, "are yew?"

"The Narumi Detective Agency," Narumi said, glancing at Kotone quizzically. The devil summoner had a penchant for making friends with the strangest characters, but judging by her quirked brow, she wasn't responsible for these fellows' appearance this time. "Who might you be?"

"None o' yer beeswax," said the second masked man. "Though we appreciate yer honesty, it ain't gonna do you any good… We ain't too fond of dogs who sniff around in the wrong yard. Lay off yer search for Dahn."

Gouto pawed at Kotone's pant leg. "These men know Dahn…?"

The masked man continued, "Yew lookin' for anyone else, Mr. Detective?"

"That's him, right there," said Narumi, rudely pointing a finger at the cowering figure behind them. "You're interfering with our investigation. Step aside, please – we have business with Mr. Tatsumi."

"Sorry," said the masked man, "but we can't let yew do that. If yew'd just stayed away from Mannen-Cho, we woulda left yew alone...Oh well, guess yew got no one to curse but yer own bad luck!"

"What–" Narumi frowned, letting Kotone take the reins and unsheathe her sword (it was like having a bodyguard, actually, only she was a little girl and he was a former spy, which made it just a little embarrassing). As soon as she tried to move forward, however, the world turned black.

* * *

Narumi woke to a burnt orange sunset – webbed in black? He blinked a few times and shook his head, but the black webs didn't go away. They spanned the area, this place with eternal sunset, and something was falling all around him. Snow? He looked up. It was all webbing, too – or wings, maybe. It reminded him of the intricate stirrings on insect wings. In any case, it wasn't snow. And there was the invasive scent of wet grass.

"Spores," said a voice behind him, not that he could understand it. It came out as a meow, and he turned to its source slowly.

"Gouto," he said, grabbing his hat from beside the cat. "Where…are we?"

The cat blinked at him once and turned around. He meowed out, which reminded Narumi – where was Raidou?

"Kotone, Narumi's awake," was what Gouto had said, and Raidou appeared from one of the tines of the fork ahead.

"Boss," she said, picking up her pace when she caught sight of him. "Are you all right?"

"Raidou…" Narumi accepted her offer to pull him to his feet. "What is this place…?"

"The Fukorutsubo, according to the men who placed us here. It's a spell," she shrugged, preoccupied with the two paths laid out before them. Of course, this part of the puzzle was no problem now – she had done a bit of exploring while he was out cold. "Now, these two paths lead to the same room. But entering it from different directions seems to affect how far we can get from this starting point."

"And how far have you gotten?"

"So far, I've only reached past that room before you are attacked by demons and I need to save you."

Well, that didn't make him sound like a damsel in distress at all. "Demons?"

"Yes. In fact, just minutes before you woke – Ice Bullet!" If she wasn't a devil summoner, Narumi thought, maybe she could have worked at a circus. With some sleight of hand he was too groggy to catch, she pulled a tube from her chest, switched out her revolver, and the sound of five gunshots rang out in the tunnel, bouncing around till it pounded in his ears.

Narumi turned around and watched a little green thing holding a spoonful of flames explode into a barrage of bright green orbs that flew into Raidou like dust into a vacuum. "So – demons – that's what they look like."

"Not all of them," said Raidou, voice slightly muffled. A puff of white wearing a blue jester's collar and earmuffs had its appendages – arms? legs? – wrapped around the summoner's neck, a childish squeal escaping its figure.

"Ko-ho-ne!" he chirped (at least, it sounded like a very childish he), with boots that matched his collar loosening from Kotone's neck as the white puff jumped off. "I hee-missed you ho much! Oh, hi, Ho-to!"

Gouto waved an indifferent paw at the little demon. Showing too much interest in him would earn him a bearhug, and the old soul wasn't up to being suffocated at the moment.

"I missed you, too. Good job, Jack," said Kotone, pleasantly patting the top of his head.

Upon closer inspection, Narumi realized  _Jack_  had a face. He was like a snowman – a lump for the body and another lump for the head, which had two black dots for eyes and a black abyss for a mouth with only two fangs as teeth.  _Jack_  seemed to notice him, too, and found himself cradled in Narumi's arms as fast as the man's own trigger hand. "Ho-oo are you?" he asked, rudely poking at his chest. Then again, if this was a demon, Narumi thought, he supposed he didn't have to have manners.

"Jack Frost," Raidou explained, catching Narumi's bewildered expression. "A Frost-order demon. He means well."

"Call me Narumi," said the detective, setting him down gently. "Nice to meet you, uh – Jack."

"Mr. Naru-hee!" Jack Frost clapped his hands and somehow climbed his way onto Narumi's back. It seemed he belonged to the circus with Kotone. "I'm hee-going to protect you now, ho!"

The tic was a little irritating, but he could put up with it. In a way, Jack was an…animal…wasn't he? And he had a way with them – even if this kind of beast could probably eat him if it wanted to. "I thought we normal humans couldn't see demons?"

"This place is somehow connected to the Dark Realm, where even you can see them…I suppose." Kotone tossed him her revolver. "Here, boss. If we come upon any more demons, tell Jack Frost to cast Ice Bullet. It should do the trick for most we encounter. Especially for Pyro-order demons. But remember to stun them enough so they can't retaliate at once, because Jack is weak to their attacks as well."

"What?"

"Never mind. Jack Frost, will you protect Mr. Narumi?"

"You hee-got it, Ko-ho-ne!"

Narumi received a crash course in demons and devil summoning for the next x-amount of time (his watch went crazy here; he had no way of telling). Now he understood why summoners were trained from childhood – they had to learn how to be able to tell their demons apart from the rest and memorize each weakness of every demon order and learn how to swordfight, shoot, and have proper negotiating skills all at the same time. He figured he wouldn't do too badly in the negotiating bit, but he had case files exactly so that he wouldn't have to take up too much space in his head when it came to information, and no doubt his brain would have exploded with all the skills and fusions (sick, really – he knew something was wrong with that Dr. Victor) he would have had to learn by heart.

He was introduced to Kotone's demons, too; at least, the ones who were available. Raidou had summoned letters from some tubes saying they would return at a later time because they had sick siblings and a bunch of other excuses (family reunions – really?), but most of them were all right – if a little odd. An abomination named Nue had tackled him with a thousand licks to the face, claiming he had missed 'FUNNY OLD MAN' as well. Jack Frost introduced him to his brothers Hiruko (creepy little thing) and Pyro Jack, who tested his hee-resilience by setting his hat on fire (Jack Frost blew it out immediately after receiving a look from Raidou). Gozuki introduced himself and his partner as 'the brutes', something Mezuki did not appreciate, and Narumi was forgotten soon after an argument broke out between them. Leanan Sidhe was graceful, truly a lady, but professed a secret aversion to men and disappeared quickly after. Lilim set to discovering the contours of the male body as soon as she appeared, but stopped when Dominion flew out of his tube and narrowed his eyes at her. Aeros and Undine seemed the most sane out of them all, both calm and well-mannered, if not a little distant.

"All right." Narumi stopped after their fourteenth battle with a pack of Fury-order demons, panting for his breath. That life as a spy seemed so far away now, and so mundane compared to seeing all these monstrosities pop out of Yatagarasu knew where. "I  _know_  we've been here for more than half an hour. And what was that just now?"

"A Fury Nezha," Kotone replied, wiping her sword with the end of her cape. Demon blood was a lot less viscous than humans', but it was still disgusting, watching the purple stuff drip from her blade. "They're nice when they're on your side."

"I'm sure they are," Narumi grumbled, thumping a fist at his chest. Any more of seeing big, red men with screws embedded in their temples and he was sure to have a heart attack. "Do we have an escape plan, Raidou?"

Kotone and Gouto exchanged glances. They had a penchant for simply finding the exit after roaming around for some time. Some might even call it luck.

Narumi groaned. "Then how are we ever going to…Oh. Look." Ahead of them was one of the butterfly wings that served as markers around the hellish place. Before it were the two masked men, who'd patronizingly told Raidou that she would be home by supper.

Kotone drew her sword and approached them swiftly. She hadn't even had lunch yet.

"H-hey!" one of them took a step back. His accent was so thick, Narumi could barely understand him. "How'd yew find us here? Yew must have some luck…but yer luck's run out now!"

The two strangers each unsheathed two katanas, bending their knees into a trained fighting stance. Kotone did the same, motioning for Gouto and Narumi to back away.

"Sorry to do this to civilians," said the other man, "but we can't have anyone takin' us lightly."

Despite the composure obvious in Kotone's ready stance, Narumi was worried. It was one thing to hear of the devil summoner's exploits and fight undead super soldiers with her by his side, but it was another one entirely to have to sit through a two-on-one battle with strangers in an even stranger place without being able to do a thing to help.

Kotone beckoned to the strangers with a nod. She wanted to leave this place as soon as she could. She could never admit it, but all the business with the insect wings and the spores made her shudder.

"Hey…" said the ninja to his companion, "let's use that thing. Once they see that, they'll wet 'emselves with fear!" Kotone could tell that he was smirking under his mask as he turned to her. "Get ready!"

The other one cackled in agreement. "Try not to piss yer pants when yew see this…Come, Jiromaru!"

A loud, grating screech filled the air. One of the spores in the distance neared them and glowed, brighter and larger as seconds passed, until it was right before Kotone. The spore released a great flash of light, and then there was a huge face in Kotone's, ticking and clicking with empty white eyes. It bobbed its antennae together menacingly.

It was all Raidou Kuzunoha the 14th could do not to scream. It was an insect – black and silver and snapping its teeth at her, and large and twitchy and  _it had wings_. Translucent, hideous wings that made the most disgusting whirring sounds when they flapped together, and it was right in her face. Kotone could handle being ostracized from her classmates in school for her constant absences, demons, soulless armies, the dark, Dr. Victor's creepy laboratory, and mathematics, but this was too much. Now  _that_  was a grasshopper…


	3. Still a Child

"Stand your ground, Kotone!" Gouto ordered sternly, knowing the fear in her frozen knees. It wasn't so much fear as disgust crawling up her spine, but it unnerved her nonetheless, he knew. He had learned that the hard way, once, when they were investigating and he'd been distracted by a butterfly. She summoned Hiruko with a gasp foreign to a Raidou Kuzunoha as soon as she laid eyes on it, and the demon eagerly gobbled up the poor thing. This had been reported to the Yatagarasu, and he was sure she was given training to get her accustomed to the creatures, but even the clan hadn't expected a hulking insect to be part of Raidou's next mission.

"It's so big, ho!" Jack Frost gasped, covering his mouth dramatically. "Do we free-heeze it?"

Beside the demon, Narumi held on to his hat. "Yikes… Do we shoot it?"

"No," said Kotone, clearing her throat and keeping her voice solid, somehow. "I…can take care of this. Protect the boss, Jack Frost."

The insect shrieked and stabbed at Kotone's feet with one of its steel arms, barely missing as the summoner jumped backward. She bumped into Narumi, whom Jack Frost dragged away with Gouto at once. Jiromaru – it didn't matter if it had a name, Kotone promised herself, because she was going to destroy this thing at once – leapt into the air, disappearing somewhere above the veil of the black webs.

"Where did it go?" Narumi yelled.

"Keep moving!" If there was anything she learned in previous battles, it was that moving targets were the worst. It must have been true even for bugs, because Jiromaru chose to dive down at her as soon as Narumi and the others ran off. She rolled away right before it found her. The ground shook as the insect made impact, nearly knocking Kotone down, but she caught herself and skidded back on her shoes instead. They repeated this a few times, with Jiromaru attacking and Kotone dodging, without any notable results.

"Kotone, finish this!" Gouto ordered.

"I can't land a hit," she replied, though part of her knew it was because she didn't want even just her precious blade – that dangerous extension of herself – touching something so dirty and gross as an insect. But Gouto was right. Hiruko was too small to eat this one… And suddenly she remembered her much younger days, when an older cousin caught sight of an ant and brought out a magnifying glass…

She brought out a tube. "Pyro Jack, Agidyne to the wings!"

The pumpkin-headed devil had little time to greet his brother, setting to hovering fast over this new enemy. Holding his lamp to his face, he huffed, and puffed – and blew a flurry of flames down at Jiromaru, who cried out in pain. Raidou felt herself drained of energy, hardly accustomed to commanding such a powerful spell anymore, but was glad to see Jiromaru's wings crisp and curling up with the flames. Though tiny, Pyro Jack rushed at the insect while it was weak, sending ounces of magnetite to his summoner.

Raidou stood back, breathing in the energizing flow of green orbs phasing into her, and braced herself as soon as she returned Pyro Jack to his tube. "Stab it," she chanted. "Plunge your blade right into its heart…"

And she would have done it, too, had Jiromaru not suddenly cried and flown away with the little wings it had left.

Narumi was dumbfounded enough to drop Raidou's gun. The masked men were just as shocked, sputtering out in confusion.

"Y-Yew beat up Jiromaru? Y-yew not the fresh-faced kid yew look like, are yew? No one who can beat Jiromaru is…"

"A-All right," said the other one, pulling himself together. "Desperate times call for desperate measures. Hang on to yer hat, kid. Once ah unleash this thing, then yer really in for it – and yew'll have nothing to blame but yer own damn luck!"

"Enough about this luck," said Gouto impatiently, having hissed at Narumi for dropping the gun on his head. "Kotone—huh…?"

One of the men had removed the red box from his waist and was holding it in the devil summoner's direction. There was something golden, shining and floating towards her—Raidou staggered, feeling naked and empty for a quarter of a second, and then the shining object disappeared into the red box.

Gouto glanced from the men to Kotone and back. "Wh-What did they do…?"

Narumi repeated the question unknowingly to the men themselves, but his question went unanswered.

"We can leave 'er be, now," they agreed. "She's done for, anyway. We better report back to our leader."

They disappeared with another wave, sending the world around them shaking. Again Kotone felt as if she were crying, her eyes growing blurry, but this time she managed to recover and regain her sight. It was noon now, judging by the sun's placement in the sky. They were back on the Mannen-Cho rooftops.

"Looks like we're back to square one," Gouto sighed, slumping slightly. "They sure gave us a run-around. C'mon, you two. Let's pick up the search for Tatsumi here."

Narumi was on his posterior with a hand still firm on his hat. He shook his head and groaned. "What did you say, Gouto?"

"We should resume our search for Tatsumi. After some lunch," replied Kotone, offering him a hand, but he refused it and sat for a while longer.

"Yeah, great…" Narumi groped his shoulders and back quizzically. "Where did Jack Frost go?"

"I'm still here, ho!" Jack Frost cheered, pouncing on the detective's knees, but Narumi could no longer sense him. "Aww…"

"You can't see him anymore, boss," said Raidou. "We are out of the Fukorutsubo."

"Oh." Narumi looked almost disappointed. And just as he was starting to get used to the little guy, too. "Well, how about some lunch?"

Gouto's stomach rumbled. "That doesn't sound like such a bad idea…"

"Hee hee hee heee…"

Raidou and Gouto stiffened. The summoner returned Jack Frost.

Gouto was on his toes. "Kotone, this presence…!"

Even Narumi could sense the dread that swallowed his earlier relief. He glanced at Raidou from the corner of his eye. "A friend of yours returning from a family reunion, perhaps?"

"None of my friends laugh that way," she said to Narumi though he hadn't heard a thing, and nodded at Gouto. "Be careful. There's a demon nearby."

"Not a demon! Biiiiiiiiiiiinbou!" said a high-pitched voice behind Raidou. There was an upside-down man hanging from a cloud, swinging himself left and right. Hail showered from his oily hair as he whipped himself forward and backward, his robes old and dirty. Kotone wrinkled her nose at his days old stench, but he was much better than an insect.

"Greetings!" said the man with a shrill voice, swishing about. "I am Biiiiiinbou! Binbou-gami!"

"What is that smell?" Narumi covered his nose and mouth. "Raidou…?"

"This isn't just a demon – it's a Fiend!" Gouto exclaimed. "But what is it doing here…?"

"Careful, boss," Raidou repeated. "This is no ordinary demon. Stay with Gouto. He'll guide you to safety."

"What…?" Narumi looked around, though Binbou-gami was already swinging right in front of him. "On second thought, seeing demons might not be such a bad thing…"

"Come on, Narumi," said Gouto, pawing at his shoes. They backed into a more stable part of the roof.

"Hey, don't ignore me!" Binbou-gami cried out, his high-pitched whining grating heavily on Kotone's ears. "Well, I'll forgive you for now…because you're such an unlucky girl. I rather like unlucky people…You know, I'm so pleased to have found you!"

As he spoke, Raidou pondered if beheading him or simply running her sword through his stomach would be best.

"Hohoho…" Binbou-gami giggled girlishly, opening his arms to her. "You shall warm me up, for I am so cooooooold!"

Raidou reached for a tube. "Pyro Jack?"

"Ko-ho-ne!" Pyro Jack appeared with a flash of green light, his throat raspy compared to Jack Frost's sweet tone and Hiruko's airy voice. "Another hee-enemy already, ho?"

"Binbou-gami," she informed him, avoiding the hail falling from the Fiend's hair. "I'm not sure about his weakness, but he is asking me to warm him up. I thought you might do the trick."

"I def-hee-nitely would!" Pyro Jack said proudly. "But what if it hee-drains my flames, Ko-ho-ne?"

"Enough chatter!" Binbou-gami wailed. With a forward swing, he knocked Raidou off the roof.

"Raidou!" Narumi ran forward to grab her hand, but found she was floating in mid-air. Gouto clawed at him, forcing him to back down, and the detective realized it must have been Aeros keeping her safe.

"Thank you," said Raidou, sending the elemental back to his tube. She turned to Binbou-gami. "Now… Pyro Jack, Agidyne!"

Pyro Jack blew a burst of flames at the Fiend, laughing triumphantly at the sound of fire rushing through the air, only to find that Binbou-gami had disappeared. "Wha…?"

"Warm me uuuup!" Binbou-gami cried, appearing behind him, and swished in his direction. Like a swatted fly, Pyro Jack was sent hurtling through the air with a pained cry. Raidou pulled him back into his tube before he could unwillingly disappear from her sight.

"I want youuuu to warm me up," Binbou-gami continued, opening his arms again. "Not your friends! Come ooooon! Since we're both so unlucky, let's share our misfortune till one of us is dead!"

Raidou drew her sword. "If that is your wish."

"Oh, such a noble summoner!" Binbou-gami giggled, and beckoned to her with a flick of his fingers. "Come on, I'm so cooooold!"

Raidou ran at him and thrust her blade forward. He disappeared.

Realizing he would play his trick on Pyro Jack on her, she whirled, slashing her sword, but slipped.

Narumi and Gouto turned to each other. "A banana peel?"

"Impossible…" Raidou got up and threw the banana peel down the roof. She rushed at Binbou-gami again, only to slip on another peel and fall to her knees.

"You're so unlucky," Binbou-gami said, clapping his hands. "I just love it! Your attacks have all the strength of a slap with a wet noodle! Heeheeee!"

"This isn't looking good," Gouto frowned. "Fiends are nothing to sneeze at, but fighting one can't be this hopeless… Narumi, shoot him while Kotone isn't in range!"

Narumi continued to watch Raidou run around, slashing at nothing, with bated breath.

Gouto groaned. Of all the times to be a cat…

He and Kotone seemed to be of the same mind, however. "Boss, my gun, please!"

"Right!" Narumi obeyed, tossing it to her, but Binbou-gami got to her before she could catch it.

"Don't warm him up, warm meeeee!" He swung again, this time with such force that Raidou flew off the roof. The devil summoner hit her head on the neighboring roof with a thud. The world spun. She struggled to regain her equilibrium, but found herself slipping off the edge, settling for another world filled with black…

"Raidou!" Narumi leapt onto the other roof a little too late. He peered off the edge. There was no one at the bottom, just Raidou's cape caught on a hook in the wall. "Her cape…she's…gone?"

"How unlucky!" Binbou-gami cried, hovering above Narumi without his knowledge. "All I wanted was to be waaaaarm…"

Gouto's hairs stood up at the proximity of one so powerful as a Fiend. He pawed at Narumi's hand. "We need to get out of here, post-haste…"

"You'll warm me up next time! Heeheeheee!" the Fiend cackled, taking one last look at the ground, and disappeared.

Gouto slumped against Narumi's kneeling figure on the roof. They were confused, tired, hungry, and where was Raidou?

* * *

 

Light. Like a sudden camera flash. Flash, flash, flash… Like a thousand camera flashes.

Kotone felt the hard ground under her hat, back, and knees. It was very uncomfortable sleeping this way. She always lay on her side with a pillow between her knees. And she never slept with her cousin's uniform on, no matter how tired she was. She had never even slept with her own uniform on.

"Mother…" she called out, her throat dry. "Water…"

The flashes subsided, leaving the sound of noisy crickets in its wake. Kotone covered her ears until that noise subsided, too, but a high-pitched yeeee seemed to be stuck in her skull. Ignoring it, she regained the use of her limbs and propped herself up.

The world around was like a blazing storm, with red and orange and blinding white swirling dangerously around the platform she'd been sitting on, only there was no sound, no rushing of air, only that high-pitched sound and then nothing. Below her, orange lines swirled the ground, and all around spheres of gold and yellow hovered dangerously, smaller circles covering each of them like eyes ever watching.

Kotone stood and began to walk, the events of – she wasn't sure how long ago – replaying in her mind in a sudden rush that made her head spin. Did Binbou-gami do this? She felt cold and realized her cape was gone, and the ground was rippling with air she couldn't feel. There was a presence behind her—she thought of drawing her sword, only to realize that that had disappeared, too.

She was wearing a mask. Rather, the presence behind her had turned out to be herself in a mask she barely recognized. She was sure she'd seen it somewhere before, striped asparagus and myrtle green and circles within circles embedded within, with red lines for upturned eyes and a mouth perpetually turned downward. She thought of watermelons. This couldn't be her 'self' from the parallel dimension; she was a he, there, and much more composed than she was. (Handsome, too, she would not deny.) Unsurely, Kotone offered her masked self a hint of a smile.

Like ripples of water from a still lake, the world seemed to pulse as the masked Kotone began to speak, swiftly. "You who play the role of Raidou and witness this spectacle, worry not. I am here to become your salvation. The day of misfortune that is close at hand – if you have seen this spectacle, then woe betide you. However, you, like so many others, must become a living witness. There will come a day when this world is overcome by misfortune. You will bear witness to this."

Kotone's almost-smile faded. This other self certainly carried her voice, but that couldn't ever be something she would say.

The masked other continued before she could reply. "But this world's future beyond that day of misfortune…Please…" She came closer, almost as if to hold Kotone's hand, but she didn't. "I wish for you to refrain from despairing. Think of this mask's 'sorrowful' face as the combined wishes of the people. Your determination to be Raidou is already a beacon of hope. Your actions are hope… Kotone."

The storm blazed on. A flash of white, and then black again.

* * *

 

Kotone shifted, trying to rid herself of the dizzy sensation. She felt the soft ground under her head, back, and calves. Still no pillow between her knees, but she was lying on her back this time; it was acceptable. Yet it didn't matter, with the words of the masked other still ringing in her mind.

Your actions are hope…Kotone.

Kotone felt warm and realized her cape was draped over her body, and that the ground under her was actually Narumi's maroon couch in the agency. She opened her eyes and came face to face with a woman, grey-eyed with a piquant nose. The woman's hair was flat and just a little longer than hers.

"You're awake!" the woman exclaimed, the unsure line of her lips widening into a smile. She turned away, standing, and disappeared from Kotone's hazy line of vision. "Narumi! Kotone's…"

"...Oh?" Footsteps pounded into the room. Narumi came into view, and the woman, too, with pink puffed sleeves and a relieved expression. Narumi gave her the half-irritated, half-amused grin again. "You had me going there, Raidou. Even Gouto was worried. Wouldn't stop pawing at me…"

Gouto pounced onto her stomach out of nowhere, looking her in the eye and making sure she was all right. He was heavier than she remembered. "Please, he was more worried. Without me, I'm sure he'd have gone off like a moron again like he did last year after our disappearance from Waden One. Anyway… you suddenly vanished," he said, a rare gentle tone in his voice. She'd only ever heard it once, right before she thought he died. "When Binbou-gami threw you across the roofs, you slipped, but you were gone before you fell."

Raidou nodded. Her throat was no longer dry. "And Binbou-gami…?"

"He went off somewhere. A lone stroke of luck in a whole heap of misfortune."

"I found Narumi and the kitty looking lost at Mannen-Cho," said the woman after Gouto finished meowing. "We returned to the agency after hours of searching for you, but there you were, just lying on the doorsteps. Narumi carried you up here."

Raidou nodded and sat up. "Thanks, boss," she said to Narumi, who shrugged, and looked back to the woman. "And thank you for finding them."

The woman placed her hands on her hips, narrowing her eyes at the summoner with a pout. "Say, Kotone, that look on your face isn't one of those Who is this dame? looks, is it?"

Kotone blinked.

The woman gasped, holding a hand to her heart. "H-holy cats, you haven't…forgotten about me, have you?"

Finally, her pout and her nose and eyes registered in Kotone's mind. It was no wonder the woman looked so strange; she was lacking her bonnet. "How could I forget?" Kotone saved, with a small chuckle from Narumi. "Miss Asakura. It's such a pleasure to see you again."

The woman cheered and hugged her. "I knew it! How could anyone forget a face like Kichou Asakura's?"

Kotone caught a small smile on Narumi's lips. They met eyes, she imitating his oddly cheery smile, at which his own faded and he cleared his throat. "I think everything's dandy now, Tae. You were in the middle of something, right?"

Miss Tae Asakura huffed at Kotone's boss. "Got wax in your ears, Narumi? I know I've told you before that it's Kichou Asakura. While I'm on the beat, it's Kichou, got it? Kichou Asakura, the Daily Capital's best woman!" She scoffed even louder at Narumi's distinct upturn of eyes. "But you're right; I've got work to do. I need to figure out where I'm going with this article by tonight..." She approached the door, taking her hat and keys from the rack. "See you around, Kotone. You too, Gouto. And…Narumi too."

"Take care, Miss Asakura," Kotone called out, before Tae shot Narumi one last look and disappeared.

Narumi crossed his arms. "Forgetting for a sec that she left me, who's only the agency's founder, for last…" He pulled out a seat from the coffee table and sat before Kotone. "What happened out there, Raidou? You're the last person I expect to find passed out in front of the office."

Raidou recalled her masked other's words. As a whole, they made no sense. That her actions were hope – it may have been hubris, but Raidou was not completely surprised by such a statement. She was, after all, the protector of the Capital. It was her duty to defend it from impending doom, from any disaster that might befall it. The only wonder was that it came from a masked version of herself, in a platform surrounded by a fiery storm, and that she had no idea what would bring about this day of misfortune. Was it the vision she saw once in that corridor, of the mountains of corpses and that great mushroom cloud in the sky? No…it was too early.

"I have no clue as to why I passed out," she said, honestly. "What occurred after is…I know too little. I can't explain it yet."

Narumi gnawed on his lower lip, as he was wont to do when he was thinking hard. "I guess it's about time for the Narumi Detective Agency's first Investigational Meeting in a while, huh, Raidou?"

* * *

 

Houses blurred past, and buildings, and telephone wires. There was no countryside view, not in the Capital, though the river below was nice to see. Kotone wondered if it would stay that clean forever. The train ride was quick compared to the boring trip to Shinoda. There was an old woman to her right talking about how kids had it easier these days, with all the trains and the telephones to convenience them, and across her there was a noisy family of seven with children screaming about and asking how much further it would be.

Gouto breathed a sigh of relief when they left the train. He was all for modernization and convenience (maybe someday they could create artificial opposable thumbs), but the noise in that cramped train was giving him a headache.

The Investigational Meeting had concluded with the decision to speak with Akane. Her father, Tasuke Narita, had his residence in the deeper parts of Kasumidai, a little ways past the army headquarters. Narumi and Kotone agreed that only she would pay Akane a call. A visit from a detective would no doubt set the councilman off, after all, and they didn't want to admit to having taken a case from his daughter until after they'd solved it if they could help it. (Then again, there was still the matter of discovering why there was no evidence of Tasuke Narita ever having a child.) Indeed, they decided sending a girl in a boy's uniform with a schoolcap and a cape hiding a sword and a gun, alone with only a cat for company, would be much less conspicuous.

The Narita residence was a sizable mansion, with about three floors if Raidou's guess was right. The butler must have seen her coming in from the window, because he opened the door right as she stepped on the wide front porch.

"Good afternoon," he said, giving her a once-over. He seemed dissatisfied with her appearance and settled with a disdainful expression. "Do you have some business here? There is no one on the guest sheet."

"Good afternoon." Raidou subtly peeked inside, past the butler's head. There was a long vestibule from the door to the next room, and a path to the right the wall blocked. It was all brown inside, dreary, with yellow-orange lamps and expensive antiques that made the place look like an aging photograph. The dark realm was livelier. "I'm looking for Miss Akane Narita…?"

The butler narrowed his eyes at her and the cat at her feet. "Who might you be?"

"A friend."

"Come in." When they were inside, he stopped and pointed to her spot directly in between the door and the room. That hallway to the right led to a larger area with grand stairs, but she could see nothing past it. "…Wait here, please." The butler disappeared into what Kotone thought to be a drawing room.

"That wasn't suspicious," Gouto remarked when they were alone, which wasn't for long. The butler returned soon with an older, taller gentleman with a mustache and glasses. Behind the stern shine of his spectacles, Raidou saw a distant expression.

"This is the student, sir," said the butler, motioning to Raidou. He didn't even acknowledge Gouto.

"Good afternoon, sir," said Raidou, bowing to the man as he pushed his glasses further into the bridge of his nose. With the way he so authoritatively stared her down from head to toe, this was clearly Councilman Narita.

The councilman didn't acknowledge it. "Not only have you come to the house of Tasuke Narita with a sword tucked beneath your cape, dressed as a young man… You're dropping Akane's name. And that, child, I cannot ignore."

Neither Raidou nor Gouto flinched, a product of intense Kuzunoha clan training, though they wondered how the councilman knew of the blade under her cape. Or that she was a girl. He must have detected the subtle shing of the blade as she moved, and the lightness in her voice. Kotone said, allowing her voice to take its natural pitch, "My father believes that even a woman must have the means to protect herself."

Councilman Narita brushed that off with a wave of his hand. "And how do you know Akane…?"

Raidou pursed her lips, brewing up a lie in her thoughts.

"You will answer me, girl. Don't think there's anything you can hide from a man in my position."

"We met in the Capital," said Raidou, automatically. All she'd needed was some time to finish the story in her mind. "Miss Narita paid us a call. I'm only returning the courtesy." It wasn't a lie.

Councilman Narita frowned at her, knowing very well that the child before him was hiding something the way she hid that sword under her cape. He was about to speak when familiar gentle footsteps entered his home.

"I'm home…" Akane. "Huh…?" She recognized the cape. "K-Koto—Raidou? Why are you…?"

Her 'father' – Kotone still wasn't sure of it all – crossed his arms. "Your timing is either impeccable or unbelievably poor. Explain yourself, Akane."

Akane's eyes fell to the floor. Kotone refrained from sighing. When she was a child, she'd done the exact same thing when caught red handed, before her father taught her how to lie. Akane was going to tell the truth.

And she did. After a long explanation about the Narumi Detective Agency, the Councilman gave Akane a reproving look.

"I thought I warned you not to leave Kasumidai."

"I'm sorry," said Akane, looking away shamefully. She was everything Raidou Kuzunoha the 13th had taught his daughter not to be. Submissive, meek, gentle… "I…I'll take care not to in the future."

The Councilman seemed to accept it, as he turned to the summoner absentmindedly. "Raidou, was it?"

Raidou nodded.

"I've been embarrassed in front of you here, but don't press your luck. Do you understand the principles of the strong and the weak in society? Who is stronger: you or me?"

Kotone couldn't help but appraise the councilman, despite Narumi's desire to impress him and earn more money for coffee beans. Even with his suit, she could tell he was no ordinary politician, but she was young, sprightly, and a trained Kuzunoha warrior. With a flick of her sword, even society's hierarchies wouldn't matter. This she knew. Gouto had once told her that she was his finest descendant; that she, despite having only been a young girl of sixteen, had done his name proud. This she believed. Looking Narita in the eye, she replied, "…I am."

Akane and the butler looked taken aback, while Gouto continued to watch silently. Narita quirked an eyebrow. "You think knowing one of my secrets places you above me? You dare to look down on me…?"

"It isn't a matter of looking down on you," replied Kotone. By secret, did he mean the fact that he had a daughter? "Despite the modern turn of society, the traditional ways to measure strength still exist. You are no weakling. But I…" She felt almost embarrassed to say it before a woman so innocent as Akane, but she was certain of her words: "I am stronger."

Narita scoffed. "All very brash and heroic, to be sure. But you have a lot to learn about the world."

Kotone would have liked to return that scoff, to tell him of the events of the past year, how she and Shouhei Narumi and Gouto and one of her friends saved his world from a hateful little 'god,' his machines, and another of Gouto's descendants, and how she had witnessed the horrible future that would befall the world a century from this time. It wasn't a burden she cherished, knowing the future, but she thought it deserved her more than a simple dismissal because of her youth.

She kept her mouth shut, however, for Narumi's sake, and the councilman continued. "Now, then. Playing detective is a cute hobby for the young…but allow me to warn you, Raidou, that it's important to know when to quit." Kotone did not break eye contact, though Akane, watching the exchange, bowed her head and tinkered with one of her curls in shame. "I'll leave the more complicated business to the two of you. Excuse me."

Raidou bowed for the sake of courtesy as he left. Akane clenched a dainty hand around her skirt. "I'm so sorry, Kotone. You came all the way here, and…"

"It's all right, Miss Narita," she replied. "It is you we came to see, after all, no matter the trouble."

"Oh…is something the matter?"

"We've been moving along our investigation, and we've come upon a lead," said Raidou. "We hear there has been a man fraternizing with outsiders who seem to know Dahn; it's set off the local yakuza who manage the gambling parlor in Mannen-Cho, because he seems to have gotten almost frighteningly lucky after meeting with them. The man's name is Goro Tatsumi—does his name sound familiar?"

Akane searched her mind for anything that came close to the name, but came up with nothing. "No…The name doesn't ring a bell. But the outsiders you say he's been associating with…" She stiffened. "Did I hear you right to say he got lucky after meeting them? It…It can't be…"

Kotone and Gouto glanced at each other quizzically. Akane caught it, and before Raidou could ask, said, "O-Oh, it's nothing. I didn't mean to alarm you…"

"Any information you might have would be a great help, Miss Narita," said Raidou. "If you know anything about these outsiders…I've seen them, actually. Masked men wielding katanas and red…cases strapped to their waists. To be honest, they attacked us in Mannen-Cho. Does such a description ring a bell?"

"Um…"

Gouto blinked. "I don't know if it's a good or a bad thing – that she breaks so easily."

Raidou gave him a shrug that said let us use it to our advantage for now. "Yes, Miss Narita?"

Akane sighed in defeat. "Anything I tell you about these masked men…I'd like you to keep it a secret from Father…"

"Of course, Miss Narita."

"About those masked men…well…um, never mind. As long as you're safe."

Gouto observed Akane's curl-twirling and inability to make eye contact. "There's something she doesn't want us to know about the relationship between Dahn and the masked men, isn't there? I wonder what this dame is really up to…"

Raidou shrugged. Akane hardly looked like she meant to bring harm to anyone else. Then again, the Raidou from the future had tricked her that way, too, when he possessed Kaya. Although perhaps she should have gotten a clue when Kaya cut those silky strands of hers and had that crazed look in her eyes whenever she spoke. Kotone could only see shame in Akane's eyes, though…

"Miss Narita…what are you hiding?"

Akane closed her eyes as if she were ailing. Kotone almost pitied her, but she couldn't quite feel for the older woman if she wasn't sure that she was truly innocent. "I wish I could tell you more, but…I can't just yet. I'm sorry." There was an urgent look in her eyes, as if she needed Raidou – and even Gouto, since she glanced down at him for a moment – to believe her. "Really, I am! But I…!"

"It's all right, Miss Narita," said Raidou, backing away by an inch. "If you really can't tell us…"

"Thank you…Thank you for understanding," said Akane, so gratefully one would think Raidou had saved her life. "But please, Kotone. Find Dahn…I have nowhere else to turn but you."

Gouto snorted. "Well, when she puts it that way…"

"We will, Miss Narita," said Kotone, offering a small smile. "I'm sorry to intrude any more than I have, but may I please use your bathroom?"

"Oh, of course," said Akane, her tone much lighter. The heavy burden of being interrogated was finally lifted. "It's down that hall—right before the stairs."

"Thank you." Raidou bowed again and moved swiftly to the grand stairs, where she wouldn't be seen.

"What are you planning?" Gouto asked.

Kotone reached for a tube. "Akane needn't say a thing for us to know what's in her mind. Lilim–!"

"Ah—Miss Kuzunoha?" The butler was standing right behind her. Gouto whirled, erasing all traces of guilt from his feline face. Raidou did the same. "Mistress Akane has asked me to take care of anything you might need. Is there anything else?"

"No thank you," said Raidou, hiding the tube behind her back. "Is Miss Narita still there?"

"I'm afraid she's joined her father in the drawing room," said the butler. "In that light, I apologize for the trouble Master Tasuke has caused you. You see, guests asking after Mistress Akane are…" There was an expectant silence, and then he cleared his throat. "I really shouldn't say anything more on that subject. In any case, I see you are truly a friend to Mistress Akane."

Raidou gave no reply and nodded instead. "If Miss Narita is gone now…I should be leaving." There was no use staying if Lilim had no mind to read. The demon could always enter the drawing room on her own, but…never mind.

The butler bowed, ever obeisant. "Have a safe trip, Miss Kuzunoha."

The ride home to Tsukudo-Cho was much quieter. Although it was a short trip, Gouto fell asleep on Kotone's lap and woke only at the opening rumble of the train doors. There was no Dahn walking by the Ushigome-gaeri bridge this time, Kotone checked; only a child running around frantically with a bulky handkerchief in his hands. She avoided him as he darted past her.

"Kid looks familiar," said Gouto, yawning as he watched him go. "Didn't we see him in…somewhere…? Oh yes, Mannen-Cho…"

"He's the boy who hangs around one of Satake's men…Osamu, wasn't it? His son, if I remember correctly."

"I think so, or he'd have no other reason to hang around him," Gouto laughed. His protégée could put things so oddly sometimes.

The boy was sitting on the front porch steps of the Narumi Detective Agency when they arrived, his face covered by his hands and the busboy cap he wore. At the sight of Kotone's shadow looming over him, he jumped and grabbed her arm. "Miss! Hey! You!"

Kotone had little experience with children. All her mostly male cousins were older than her, and though they grew up together, they each had different mindsets now. She couldn't remember how she'd ever dealt with them before. And usually she left negotiating with demon children to a surprisingly motherly Leanan Sidhe. Kotone grabbed his fingers and tried as gently as she could to pry them off her. "You are Osamu's son?"

"Yeah!" the boy nodded vigorously. "Kenta Kogure, from Mannen-Cho! I really need your help!"

"With what?"

"See, thing is… My dad…" the boy's face scrunched up. He was trying not to cry. "He disappeared from Mannen-Cho."

"He may just be on business with Satake," said Kotone, thoughtfully. "The man likes to speak with his people personally."

"If he was just meeting with Mr. Satake, he woulda told me!" the boy shook his head. "No, my dad's missing. You're a detective, right, lady? You gotta find my dad…please! I…" Kenta's nose was becoming red, his eyes misty. "I'll even give you my croquette! You can split it with your kitty cat, okay?"

Kenta took her hand again and closed her fingers in on the bulky handkerchief he carried before running off with a hitch-breathed goodbye. Inside the blue cloth was a slightly burnt orange croquette.

"It's just your garden variety croquette, but you can feel Kenta's love for his dad in it." Gouto licked his teeth. "Osamu…there was that caper where you disappeared from Mannen-Cho, too. Might wanna keep in mind that he's gone missing from the same place."

The two entered the agency when Kotone hid the croquette in her pocket. The boss would have whined about having a piece of it, after all, and Gouto had had a feeling that she should save it for later, no matter how hungry they were. Narumi had only packed Kotone a sandwich before sending her off to Kasumidai. Speaking of which, the agency's founder was on the phone when they entered, leaning into his chair with his legs crossed under the table.

"Huh? Well, speak of the devil…" he muttered upon seeing his assistant and her cat, but quickly returned to his conversation. "Nothing, just talking to myself. I'll send Raidou to look into it. What? Because, uh…I'm busy. At the usual place, then? Okay, got it…" He paused for a few seconds before nodding. "Bye."

When he put the phone down, he gave the two a slight wave. "Welcome back, Raidou. Gouto. How'd it go? You get to talk to Akane?"

"We did. But we had an unfortunate run in with her father the councilman, first…" Kotone plopped down on the couch. "He wasn't too happy to see us. He even thought to call me weak and told me to quit playing detective."

Narumi leaned his lips against his fist thoughtfully. "Interesting…so Narita flipped his lid when he learned you were in touch with Akane, who, for her part, was hiding the fact that you were attacked by masked men from Narita…" he frowned. "Something smells. This is getting a bit shady for a simple manhunt."

"Gouto and I agree, boss. Just now, before we entered the office…the son of one of Satake's men approached me. He says his father has disappeared from Mannen-Cho without so much as a warning. Gouto suspects there is a connection between the masked men and my own disappearance from Mannen-Cho earlier."

"Hmm… Are you thinking of looking into it?"

"Yes. Kenta…" Kotone thought of the tempting croquette in her pocket. "His son seemed very broken up about it. And it seems an odd enough case, don't you think, boss?"

Narumi nodded. "All right. Before you do, though, Tae called. Apparently, she's doing some research of her own in Mannen-Cho. She's already wise to Tatsumi."

"She may have something on Kenta's father," said Gouto.

"Given what you've told me," Narumi continued, "I'll look into Akane some more…which leaves the other half of our case to you. Tae's got the scoop on Tatsumi—I told her you'd go hear her out."

Gouto let out a 'hmmmmm'. "I don't know why he'd send us. I was sure he'd have wanted to go himself…"

Narumi glanced down at the cat. "What?"

Confused by her mentor's words, Kotone failed to twist them around as well as she might have. "He doesn't know why you leave the traveling to us without any pocket money."

Narumi snorted. "Don't give me that! A little Jack Frost just happened to tell me about that secret stash you keep with Lilim."

Kotone shrugged. It was worth a try. "Fine. We will visit Miss Asakura."

Narumi grinned, relieved that the teenage devil summoner he'd saved the world with once still couldn't get one up over him. He still had it. "You know her usual haunt, right? The Shin Sekai soda joint in Ginza-Cho? Tae'll be waiting for you there in her spot."

Gouto pursed his cat lips. "Her spot? He visits her often, then?"

Kotone quirked an eyebrow at the cat. "Why is that relevant?"

Gouto chuckled, patting her foot with a shake of his head. "You're really still a child…"

* * *

 

The storefront was hidden along a street away from the main road. It was dark, almost like an alley, tall buildings rented out by shops shielding them from sunlight. The soda joint itself had such a cool ambiance that Kotone had the urge to sleep as soon as she entered. Only the smell of cigarettes combating the sweet scent of wine woke her.

"I missed this place, too," said the devil summoner, a dreamy look on her face.

"I expected you would," Gouto grinned. "Breaking a wine bottle over that lecherous android's head must have felt really good."

"It did," said Kotone, reminiscing gladly as she approached the main bar. "It's one of my best memories of the Capital."

The owner of Shin Sekai also worked as its bartender. He made tangy fruit shakes for Kotone and Gouto, since the former was too young and they agreed that it would be best for the latter not to drink. He'd recognized the devil summoner's silhouette through his blue tinted shades by the glass doors. Only one child wore such a hat around the Capital.

"Miss Kuzunoha," he said when she reached his countertop, "How nice to see you in the Capital again. On another mission?" He smiled at Kotone's affirmation. "We've received several new requests pertaining specifically to devil summoners. Shall I forward the case files to the Narumi Detective Agency?"

"Please do. By the way… Has my boss been here of late?"

The owner fixed his red suit and his black bowtie with a pleased upturn of the lips. "Why, yes. He sits with Miss Asakura, more often than not."

"Hmm…You were right, Gouto." Kotone set Gouto on the stool before her and pat his head gently. Something in his eyes reflected the bartender's, like they knew something she didn't. "Why do you smile that way?"

Gouto shook his head, and the owner cleared his throat. "If there is nothing else…Miss Asakura is on the far end of the bar. She phoned Mr. Narumi earlier, and said she was expecting you."

Kotone thanked him and approached Tae, who was flipping past the pages of a crumpled notebook. "Hi, Kotone. I got the skinny from Narumi," she said, before Raidou could tap her shoulder. Sometimes Kotone wondered if Tae had Lilim's psychic powers. Or it could have been woman's intuition, as the older lady would so vehemently insist. "So you had some questions, huh? I'll answer whatever I can. But wait—age before beauty. I get the first questions. What happened earlier today, when you disappeared in Mannen-Cho?"

It wouldn't hurt to tell Tae, Raidou supposed. She and Narumi were becoming quite a pair of close friends, so it was likely that her boss trusted the reporter. "We were following him for a client and found him in Mannen-Cho. Just as we cornered him, two masked men came to his rescue and confronted us. Tatsumi managed to escape, and…the confrontation didn't end very well."

"What? That's the first I've heard of these masked men!" Tae triumphantly pumped a fist in the air. "What a lucky break! Thanks to you, I've got a juicy scoop!"

"You…didn't hear it from me, of course." Her boss liked a little obscurity, so he could have time for his coffee without having to answer the phone all the time. Then again, there was a time when he had her answering phone calls…

"Of course," said Tae, too happy about her discovery to protest. "Well, I guess it's my turn to blab now. Here's what I've learned about Tatsumi: ever since he started his hot streak at the gambling parlor, people have started hanging around him. Some are run-of-the-mill gamblers trying to piggyback off Tatsumi's luck to make a quick buck…and some are Kantou Haguro-gumi thugs, secretly angry with the guy for winning so much money." Tae sat up, a thought finding its place at the forefront of her mind. "By the way, I heard about you and that yakuza boss…"

Gouto groaned. Raidou shook her head. "That was nothing. Please continue."

"Okay…" Tae shrugged. She couldn't make a scoop out of it, anyway; that mob boss would kill her. "Well, it didn't matter who they were. They've all disappeared, and it all links back to Tatsumi… The locals are saying they were spirited away. I was assigned to cover the story."

Gouto would have stroked his whiskers if he knew it wouldn't disturb Tae. "Multiple disappearances leading back to Tatsumi…Hmm…"

"So…" Tae quirked an eyebrow at Gouto turning his back on her and fiddling with something on his chest. She figured he was licking himself, and that it was a personal task only Kotone was allowed to watch. He was really just writing on his notebook. "Is there anything else you want to know?"

"Could you elaborate about this…spirited away business, Miss Asakura?"

Tae brightened up and nodded proudly. "You've got a reporter's ear, Kotone! I just mentioned that in passing… Well, I guess I can share. It might have something to do with the masked men. It's just a rumor, but the Mannen-Cho police might make this 'spiriting away' for kidnappings. They say Tatsumi's been involved in smuggling, and he was fencing the stuff in Mannen-Cho. That's what I sweet-talked out of the officers."

"Sweet-talked?" Kotone repeated. "Using your feminine charm? I thought it was against your principles?"

Tae seemed to think about it for a moment before giving the question a dismissive wave. "I got my answers, didn't I?" Lilim had thought so, too. "Now here's my take on it: whoever's backing Tatsumi's smuggling operation is removing anyone who gets too close to him. Catch my drift? The organization behind his scheme is…"

"The masked men," Raidou finished. "They told me to stay away from him."

"But what could Tatsumi be smuggling?" Gouto pondered, having finished his writing.

Tae nodded at the girl. "Exactly. It's nice having these back-and-forths with you, Kotone. It's not often I can do it with another woman."

"Always a pleasure," said Raidou, who muttered to Gouto, "Osamu?"

"He must have been spirited away, too," said the cat.

"Did you say something?" asked Tae.

"Uh—no." Raidou stared at the tip of Tae's bonnet. "Is there anything else you can tell us, Miss Asakura?"

"Oh! Yeah. Apparently, our Tatsumi's gone missing, too."

"Good riddance," Gouto grumbled.

"Funny how it happened right as the bulls were looking to question him," Tae continued. "Convenient, huh? Either Tatsumi's very lucky, or the police aren't. I haven't heard of anyone spotting Tatsumi leaving Mannen-Cho, either."

"I see…" Gouto jumped off the stool beside Tae, a signal that they should leave. Raidou bowed to her. "Thank you for your time, Miss Asakura."

"Sure thing, Kotone," Tae smiled, flipping her notebook open again. "Oh, say hi to Narumi, okay?"

Kotone blinked. "But you were on the phone with him not more than an hour ago."

"I know. Just say hi."

An odd request, but she wouldn't mind fulfilling it. Bidding Tae farewell for the day, Kotone and Gouto exited the soda joint.

"You know, Gouto, Miss Asakura can make the most peculiar req…" Kotone stopped. There was a presence behind her, familiar but much stronger, pulsing with energy and power. She turned around.

It was the foreigner, the blond young man with the nice nose and the bright eyes. Raidou hadn't sensed this much energy from him in the Tamonten Shrine. He smiled at her, that bag of his still in his left hand. "We meet again."

Kotone nodded. "Hello, um…"

Lus…i…uis…f…

A thought that was not hers echoed in her mind. A name that was not familiar came out of her mouth. "Louis?"

The foreigner pretended to think about it. "That will do."

Kotone shook her head, regaining her own thoughts and her own speech. "Louis."

"Yes. I wasn't expecting to meet you here, Kotone. Perhaps this is a 'spark' as well."

Raidou instinctively reached for her sword. "How do you know my name?"

"But it's fortunate that I did," Louis continued, his voice suddenly soothing. Kotone relaxed and let her hands fall back beside her waist. "There was something I wished to discuss with you."

"Your leading me to Satake, you mean?"

"No…" Louis looked down at her with semi-closed eyes. It would have looked pompous from another, but it seemed only natural to him. That and he'd actually answered one of her questions. "A man boasting of his good fortune has been targeted by a Fiend."

"Tatsumi," said Raidou and Gouto in unison.

They were right, but the foreigner didn't acknowledge it. "It is the one you know as Binbou-gami, the Fiend of disaster. This boastful man is in Mannen-Cho, unseen by the human eye. This is because he is in the Dark Realm…"

"You know of the Dark Realm." Raidou didn't bother phrasing it as a question anymore. It was only an expression of some surprise.

Louis nodded, however. "He doesn't know that his voluntary entrance to the Dark Realm will 'spark' the end of his luck." Raidou rolled her shoulders back. "You are pleased by this." When she dropped her slight smirk, the foreigner chuckled. "Hmm. If this man in Dark Mannen-Cho means anything to you…then let my words be a spark for your actions."

With that, he disappeared into Shin Sekai.

"Funny guy. Between him and Akane, we've sure been meeting our share of strange customers." Gouto scribbled something on his notebook. "And how is he connected to the Dark Realm? He didn't seem so powerful before…"

"I can't say…" Kotone wondered what such an enigma could want in a soda joint. "In any case, Goro Tatsumi awaits us in Dark Mannen-Cho. I wonder how he even ended up there."

"So do I. Are we going to Shinoda?"

The sun was nearly setting. Her stomach was rumbling. A decision was made. "No. Let's hope he can survive a night in the Dark Realm. In any case…he won't be able to tell the difference."

Gouto imitated her pace towards the train station. "Not something I would have done in my prime, but now…" he chuckled. "I agree."

* * *

 

"We're home," announced Kotone, hanging her key on the rack after locking the office door. Rubbing her aching forehead (she'd somehow walked into the door while opening it), she knew this was going to become a routine – she and Gouto buying dinner, Narumi lounging around somewhere in the agency. Or maybe not lounging around, as tonight he was trying to fit a whole bunch of folders into a tiny shelf beside his desk. "Boss…?"

Narumi glanced up with an impatient expression. It softened when he saw his assistant and the cat, but intensified again soon after. "Raidou, Gouto. Care to explain all these case files?"

The Shin Sekai's owner worked fast. Gouto said this, and Kotone translated: "Working on these case files will earn us more dinner. Shouldn't we be glad?"

"Dinner?" Narumi dropped the folders on his desk and suddenly went off to the kitchen. Seconds later, the table was set. "Dinner sounds great."

Gouto grinned and hopped on the table. "Bring on the food, Kotone!" She obeyed, and they set to eating as soon as she put the takeout down.

"Boss, I met a boy today," Raidou said when she was almost done. Narumi felt like it was the introduction to a confession, from a teenage daughter to her father. That was, before he remembered that this was Raidou Kuzunoha the 14th. She knew every weakness of every demon order, but she probably still thought kisses were thimbles and thimbles were kisses. "Actually, I'd already met him yesterday, in the Tamonten Shrine. He seemed harmless…but he informed me that Tatsumi is in the Dark Realm, being targeted by the Fiend that attacked us this noon."

"Huh." Narumi swallowed his food, looking at the ceiling as if that would give him answers. "I got nothing on Akane yet. You think you can trust this kid?"

Raidou shrugged. "It is our only lead. And Miss Asakura said that Tatsumi had disappeared without a trace. That no one saw him leave Mannen-Cho."

"Mmhmm. You'll be traipsing around the Dark Realm tomorrow, then.'

"Yes. By the way, boss," said Kotone, gulping her water down voraciously, "Miss Asakura said hi."

Narumi stopped slicing his food. "She did?"

"Yes. Is that important?"

Narumi's eyebrows furrowed. He bowed his head to the point that Kotone could only see his hair. "Well…"

"Is something wrong, boss?" Why was it so relevant?

"Uh—no." Still only hair. "Could you get me more water, Raidou?"

"But your glass is still—"

"Water, please."

Kotone shrugged and took his glass before entering the kitchen. She stayed there for all of ten seconds, pretending to fill an already full glass, before returning to the coffee table and returning it to him. "Here you go, boss."

Narumi had already recovered, and smiled as he took a sip of his water. It still looked full. "Thanks, Raidou."

Gouto was laughing.

Narumi frowned. He definitely recognized that kind of meowing, and the wide, almost creepy smile on the cat's face. "You think that's funny, huh, Gouto?"

Kotone glanced at her mentor. "I don't understand."

"You…haha…you don't have to!" said Gouto, now clutching his stomach and lying on his side on the table.

Kotone pushed herself away from the table. "Boss, were you…possessed? Did the soul transfer to Gouto?"

Narumi turned only a little pink. "What do you mean was I possessed?"

"Oh…possessed…hahahaha!" Gouto continued to howl in laughter. "Who would have thought? Narumi…haha… madly…ha…can't even own up to…"

"He's not possessed," Narumi said, his lips forming a line. He had a very good idea of what the cat was saying to Kotone even without her translations. "It's only a case of extreme immaturity."

Kotone stood, shaking her head. "Whatever it is, it doesn't seem to be all that funny."

Narumi's eyes widened. "What is he telling you?"

"Nothing that makes sense," replied the devil summoner, approaching the door across the kitchen. "I'll be in my room if you need me, boss. Please bring Gouto up when he's done…some milk should do him in. Good night."

"Good nigh…hey, why am I left to take care of him? H-hey…"

Kotone was already gone. Narumi wasn't laughing.

* * *

 

Orange melted away with violet in the sky and in the air all around. It was always dusk in the Dark Realm—or maybe it was dawn, but neither Gouto nor Kotone had ever been the technical type. There was a constant breeze of colors, a spectrum compared to the greys of the realm, evidence of the thinning barrier to the Netherworld.

Goro Tatsumi was by the river when Raidou popped into Dark Mannen-Cho. He saw her as soon as she arrived.

"Y-You…!" He stood back. "You're that student. What're you doing here…?"

"That buttery voice…!" Gouto hissed. "That sickly sweet tone…just thinking of it makes my fur stand up—Goro Tatsumi!"

"Indeed," said Raidou, drawing her sword. "Tatsumi, you will return with us to the Capital."

Goro Tatsumi laughed and shook his head. "Today's just not your day… Y'see, eventually, this whole place will be—nah, it already is my kingdom. And a king is free to walk freely throughout his kingdom without being pestered, kid!"

"Free to walk freely?" Gouto scoffed. "This guy is low class."

Raidou lowered her sword. "No one can rule over the Dark Realm. It is only an in between world, a barrier within a barrier. Decades from now, it will be lost to hordes of demons. You are delusional."

"Wh-What?" Tatsumi waved his hands as if batting her words away. "I'll show you delusional!"

A horde of Frost order Preta flanked Tatsumi on every side, their stomachs hanging low and their eyes white with a different gleam.

"Ah, see?" Tatsumi cackled. "Whenever I need 'em, they always come to my side! Anyone who tries to stand against me in my kingdom gets fed to the Pretas! I mean, the Preta Forms!"

"Is Tatsumi saying he brought these 'Preta Forms' together with his luck?" asked Gouto.

"I don't know," replied Raidou, "but there is something odd about the glow of their eyes. And they are quiet; still. Most Pretas fill the air with incessant laughter."

"You're right. Do you think…"

"This's what you get for following me around, kid! Preta Forms! Get 'er!" Tatsumi shouted, then turned around and disappeared behind the houses.

"Tatsumi's getting away," Gouto pointed out.

"I will make short work of them, not to worry," said Raidou, and intended to keep her promise. She pulled out her gun and stunned each Preta before immobilizing them with a slash at their legs. Their magnetite followed her and Gouto as they gave Tatsumi chase.

"There is a Fiend hunting you," Raidou called out. "Return to the human world or face its full wrath here!"

"No way! I can take on anything in my kingdom!" Tatsumi took a sharp turn that sent Gouto sliding on his paws. "First the Kanto Haguro-gumi, and now you! Mannen-Cho's overcrowded with peasants! Go home before I lose my patience with you!"

Gouto snarled as he caught up with Raidou again. "Using banana peels was one thing, but calling out demons? This guy's lucky streak isn't funny anymore. After him! We have to ask him about Dahn, and we can't leave demonic powers in the hands of one lucky schmuck!"

Tatsumi stopped to catch his breath at the clearing with the well. Leaning against his knees, he grinned at Raidou. "H…Hah! So stubborn," he breathed, "I'll admit, I'm honored you're so obsessed with me…but it's useless, kid." Half a dozen more demons circled him. "I've got the Preta Forms on my side!"

"How does a gambler like you gain such awesome powers?" asked Raidou, feigning wonder. Under her cape, she began to reload her revolver. "Is it really just your luck?"

"Since you're such a fan, I'll tell you," said Tatsumi, true to Louis' description of his arrogance. "I've drained the people of Mannen Cho's luck, and now they serve me as my Preta Forms! All the ones getting 'spirited away'…that's the measure of my power!"

"So Osamu and the rest of the gamblers and the Kanto Haguro-gumi who've disappeared are the Preta Forms!" Gouto realized, though he had already suspected it. "The only way to release them is to defeat Tatsumi!"

"But that would mean killing him," Raidou murmured. "Or asking him to lift his spell nicely."

"What are you mumbling to yourself?" Tatsumi frowned. "I'm still talking here! You see, anyone who irritates me… the regulars at the gambling parlor, the Kanto Haguro-gumi…all of them! I drained their luck and sent them to the Dark Realm! Now the Preta Forms are my obedient minions, and I'm their king!"

"Strange twist of fate that it all turned out to be Tatsumi," Gouto said. "We have to make him listen to reason, though I doubt a mooncalf like him would understand…"

"And now," Tatsumi continued, calming down a little before running off again. "it's time to say farewell, for good. Get her, Preta Forms!"

"Immobilize them like you did earlier," Gouto said to his descendant. "Remember, you can't kill them. They're humans!"

"I did considerable damage to the Preta Forms by the river; do you think they'll sustain those wounds in human form if we're able to release them from their demon forms?" asked Raidou, watching the Preta forms preparing to rush at her.

"We'll have to find a way to rescue them before we worry about that," Gouto replied. "For now, just do as you did and keep them alive."

Raidou raised her gun and shot each Preta Form that neared her. There was only one left, and he was holding his arms over his head cowardly. "Wait, wait!" he cried, holding his arms out defensively.

Gouto quirked an eyebrow.

The Preta glanced up when he could no longer hear gunshots. "Do you…have food on you? You smell gooooooooood. I eat, and I eat, and still I hunger," he explained, his yellow earrings jingling. "Do you have any food? Food for me…? Maybe you don't care if a stranger like me starves! You don't care if I go hungry, do you?" he gasped.

The Preta kind were always so bold. It was fun to pick demons' minds sometimes, understand why they were. But this wasn't the time, and this wasn't even truly a demon. Perhaps giving him what he desired would make him disappear faster, without having to kill him. Raidou reached into her pocket and tossed the handkerchief to the Preta. "For your silence, a croquette."

"Oh…!" the Preta stared at the croquette before holding it to his cheek. "Is this a croquette? I love these! How lucky! I…I remember sharing these…with my son…" he stared up at the summoner with a furrow of his brow ridges, an action completely unknown to a Preta. "Huh? My son…? Did I just say something about my son?"

Gouto and Raidou exchanged glances. "Osamu?"


	4. Road Trip

"Osamu…?" the Preta repeated. "No, my son… He's probably hungry right now. I should check on him…Kenta…!"

With a flash of light, the Preta disappeared. In his place was a man in the Kantou Haguro-gumi getup, his hair pulled back in a tight ponytail—Osamu Kogure. He blinked, the world around him different but familiar, and would have collapsed had Raidou failed to catch him. "Urrrrgh," he groaned. His temples felt as though they were about to split. "What happened? My head's pounding…Ugh, Raidou? What are you doing here?"

"You're safe now, Mr. Kogure," said Kotone, grunting as she supported him. He was much heavier than she expected. "Kenta asked us to search for you. In our hunt for Tatsumi, we found you, too."

"I see…" Osamu clutched his head again. "So Kenta found you, Raidou… Hey, you were looking for that Dahn guy, right? And you have to find Tatsumi to do it?"

"Yes. Satake informed you?"

"Uh…yeah." Osamu's eyes were filled with shame. "To be honest, I met with Tatsumi…That bastard. He knew I needed money to send Kenta to school, and he exploited it. He said he had a way for me to make a fast buck…And…Raidou, I'm ashamed to say it, but…" he grimaced. "I wavered. I betrayed Mr. Satake!"

Raidou gave no distinct reaction. Her father had taught her that giving anything of the sort, especially to anyone who looked particularly emotional at the moment, could only result in something worse. He'd gone on to add that such a rule didn't work for women, especially not her mother, but when Kotone had asked him to elaborate, he only patted her head and said his daughter would become an exception to that norm.

"You could have asked Satake to help you," she said, ignoring Gouto's constant pawing at her pant leg. "He would have been able to think of something."

"I…I know." Osamu's eyes were downcast. "I shoulda known it earlier, but I—"

"I'm sorry, but I can't stay and chat." Raidou pulled out two tubes. Two green flashes later, a fuchsia horse and a blue bull holding a lance and an axe, respectively, appeared at Raidou's side.

The horse stood from his kneeling position and bowed to Kotone with a fist to his chest. "I am honored to serve you. Welcome back, Miss Kotone."

"Duuude! Gozuki and Mezuki, to the rescue!" said the latter – Gozuki – pumping his free fist with a cheer and thumping Kotone on the back. "Who're we beating up today?"

Mezuki rolled his eyes and neighed disdainfully. "You are  _such_  a barbarian."

Gozuki raised an axe threateningly. "Who asked  _you_?"

Osamu glanced between the two fearfully. "Wh-What…oh…" He shook his head, still too stunned to think clearly. "I've seen stranger things…"

"They make a good team when they're not bickering," Gouto remarked, watching the horse and the bull start to shove each other. "Anyway, Kotone, clock's ticking…"

"Right." Raidou returned Gozuki into his tube again before the coming argument broke out into a brawl, realizing she needed her own demon to persuade Tatsumi into returning with them, anyway. "Mezuki, protect Mr. Kogure here. I'll return for you soon."

"As you wish," said Mezuki, nodding respectfully, and smiled awkwardly at a confused Osamu before allowing his summoner to run off.

Raidou and Gouto were coming into the area where the cross-dressing man had lived. Gouto cringed when they passed by the dark room in which they had stumbled with Narumi the day previous, but distracted himself by keeping his eyes on Tatsumi. "There he is, Kotone!"

Tatsumi was resting against one of the houses, a hand clutching at his chest in fatigue. When he saw that Raidou and Gouto were gaining, he ran off again, but he didn't get as much of a head start as before. He wouldn't escape this time—

"You! Foooooouuuuuund yooouuu!"

—but he did, thanks to the distraction posed by a woman in a french maid outfit. There was a frenzied expression on her face as she tackled Raidou to the ground, her eyes wide and her jaws crunched together tightly. Raidou pushed her off immediately, unsheathing her sword to the maid's neck, but she recognized the woman and withdrew it. Hastily, she said, "You are Dr. Victor's Ippon-datara. What are you doing here?"

"Yeah, you're interrupting an official investigation!" Gouto said irritably, his paws burning as he skidded to a halt.

"Not my fault!" the maid cried out, covering her face, and then cleared her throat and straightened up. "I come message. From Victor. A message."

"Can't this wait?" Gouto groaned. "Spit it out already."

"Miss Kuzunoha!" said the maid, using Victor's voice and cackling, "Rejoice, for I have marvelous news for you! I recently have discovered a—" She stopped at the urgent flare in Gouto's eyes, and smoothed the creases of her dress down. "There's no need. Doing this in Victor's voice. Will stop now. My apologies. Victor is fusing. Sword fusion. It's a process. Very new. Very big deal, I guess. Makes swords stronger. Much stronger. Much much stronger. Very strong—"

"I understand," said Raidou, holding two fingers over the maid's lips. "Please tell Dr. Victor we'll drop by later. Thank you."

The maid followed them as they traced Tatsumi's steps, however, keeping up with their pace with relative ease. "By the way," she said, "like…outfit? In a dress. Do like?"

Raidou glanced to her right, refraining from imitating Gouto's exasperated expression. She had never been an expert on clothing. Comfort for her every day missions was what mattered to her, like her cousin's uniform, and she was only forced to wear her own uncomfortable skirts for school. House clothes were nice, but in the village she was usually in training trousers. "It's—"

"Or just weird? Weird, right? Very weird…weird…" the maid repeated to herself. All of a sudden, the maid began to twitch, her body contorting oddly. Raidou and Gouto had already seen this before and continued to run, looking back only when there were no more footsteps trailing them, only  _tak_ - _tak_ - _tak_ … The maid had returned to her true form. "BuT I'm nOt wEIrD!" it cried out in a voice flickering from its human voice to its low demon pitch. "NO mORe! LeT mE Go! WOn'T yOU sEt Me FreEeeeee?"

"This again?" Gouto led them now, and Raidou recognized the way to a deserted shrine at the heart of Mannen-Cho. This wasn't good. Such an emotional Ippon-datara could only get in the way. "I had a feeling this was going to happen…why it had to happen  _now_  is just our luck…"

"N-n-N-N-nOoooO!" the Ippon-Datara sobbed. "ThiS Is NOt MeEEEEeeeE! THis fLImsY, lAcEy…NooOOoO! nOT fOr MeeEEEEEEee!"

"At least it's no longer about walls," Raidou said optimistically, allowing the Ippon-datara to continue its wailing. After the deserted shrine, there was nowhere else to go. Tatsumi was cornering himself again, and she could only hope there were no more banana peels.

"I DON't waNT tO WeAR iT AnYMOre! I WAnt tO BurY tHIs lACey ThING iN a waLL! ForEVEr!"

"Again with the walls…" Gouto stopped at the deserted shrine as predicted. Tatsumi was standing by the donation box, clinging to the post as if it would protect him.

Upon halting, the Ippon-datara suddenly reverted back to human form. It was still wearing that dress. "I mean…" she cleared her throat. "I need return. Return to home now. Thank you very much. Thank you for letting my vent."

"Always a pleasure," said Raidou, waving absentmindedly, and approached Tatsumi. Gouto told the Ippon-datara to get a new disguise if it hated the accursed maid outfit so much before dismissing it and followed.

When Raidou came close, Tatsumi released the post and grinned. "You came, huh? Ha! What a naughty little girl…You know," he said, lifting both eyebrows, "I wasn't lying when I said it's nice to have some kid so curious about me. You're not my usual type, but if it wasn't for that bumpkin or those insects, we coulda gotten close…"

Gouto nearly choked. "Is he saying what I think he's saying?"

"He's delusional," Raidou repeated.

"Stop mumbling while I'm talking!" Tatsumi scolded, having had enough of her weird attitude. "But since you're just a little girl…okay, I give myself up."

Raidou took a step closer. "You're kidd–"

Kotone slipped on a banana peel.

Tatsumi howled with laughter. "There's no  _way_  I can be unlucky, remember? All the luck on the world's on my side! Just try and catch me!"

Raidou and Gouto froze. Another monster appeared behind Tatsumi, swishing and giggling with his feet in the clouds, hail falling from his hair. He was skinnier than before.

"Here comes my backup," said Tatsumi, crossing his arms smugly. If there hadn't been a Fiend ready to attack behind him, Raidou and Gouto might have poked fun at his pose. "I do feel bad for you, but…oh well."

The Fiend cleared his throat, tired of watching the exchange and deciding to join in himself. "I'm Biiiiiiiiinbou… Binbou-gami!"

Tatsumi turned around and almost fell back on Raidou. "Wh-What? You're not one of my minions…!"

Binbou-gami ignored him and swung to the right, tittering eagerly at Raidou instead. "I found a particular unlucky fellow…who'd have thought it'd turn out to be you again? You still owe me a good warming up!"

"Who-who are you?" Tatsumi gasped, shielding his face as though it would help.

"Oh? Who's this?" Binbou-gami finally took notice of the other human and giggled. "Hohoho! I think I've found a better candidate to warm me up! Heeheeee…please, do warm me up a bit!"

"Whaaaat?" He ran behind Raidou and peeped out from behind her shoulders. "B-But I'm Tatsumi…? I…um…M-M-Mommy!"

"Warm me up, Sir!" Binbou-gami cried needily, hugging himself as hail flew from his swishing hair. "I am soooooo cold!"

Kotone pried Tatsumi's fingers off her and stepped aside. "He  _is_  asking you nicely."

"I'd agree to this if we didn't need more answers from him," said Gouto. "You'll have to protect him, I'm afraid."

Binbou-gami swung forward. Raidou would have (reluctantly) shielded him with a revolver to the Fiend's face, but Tatsumi was still a lucky bastard. As soon as Binbou-gami came within two feet of Tatsumi's person, he slipped and fell off his cloud. Gouto looked up at the sky. Surprisingly, it  _wasn't_  raining banana peels.

"Huh?" Binbou-gami thrashed about angrily. "Gyaaaaaahh! You…! You're brimming with luck? How terribly unlucky!"

Tatsumi touched all his important body parts and then his face. "I-I'm safe? I'm alive! I  _am_  lucky!"

Gouto turned to Raidou. "The Fiend is weakened from trying to possess Tatsumi… His good luck cancels out all the bad around us. We might actually be able to harm Binbou-gami in this state. Go for it, but remember not to take him lightly!"

The 14th nodded obediently and stood in Binbou-gami's way. "I think I will warm you up now, Binbou-gami."

"Oh? How lucky of me!" Binbou-gami clapped his hands. "Come on, I'm soooo coooooooold!"

Raidou ran at him again, sword outstretched, but caught herself as Binbou-gami disappeared. She rolled to the side before the Fiend could swing at her from behind. Those were Binbou-gami's first patterns. Eyes focused on him, she waited for his next move.

"You're not even tryiiiing!" Binbou-gami wailed.

"Pyro Jack," said Raidou, taking out his tube, "let's try again. Into my arms."

"Ho no, it's this hee-Fiend again!" Pyro Jack cowered under her arm. Kotone would have scolded him—he'd faced more fearful opponents in the past—but he  _had_  saved her from Jiromaru when she was stone cold with disgust. She took him from under her and held his head with both hands. "Ko-ho-ne, what are you hee-doing? If I breathe-ho fire, you'll get burned!"

"Kotone, watch out!"

Gouto's warning came too late. Binbou-gami appeared beside Raidou and swung forward, sending her flying against the roof of the abandoned shrine. She shielded Pyro Jack from the impact with her arms. Her feet stung and her back ached when she slid off the roof, then landed and stumbled down the stairs, but she caught herself before she slipped on any more banana peels.

"Hey!" Tatsumi cried, nearly tripping as he backed into a corner, "You almost crushed me!"

"When I give you the signal, perform Agidyne," Raidou whispered to Pyro Jack, pretending not to hear the other human beside her. Kotone wished she  _had_  crushed him.

"I've heard humans enjoy teasing the ones they like," said Binbou-gami, swaying again, and gasped. "Could it be that you're treating me so coldly because…?" Binbou-gami tittered and disappeared once more, only to appear behind her.

Raidou jumped to the side, rolling, and pointed Pyro Jack in the Fiend's direction as soon as he began to pendulate. "Now, Pyro Jack!"

Pyro Jack's head glowed as he inhaled, warming up. Raidou released his body with a hiss, her palms a little seared, but Pyro Jack didn't miss an inch. He blew a torrent of fire into Binbou-gami's face.

"Ooooooh!" Binbou-gami cried out, holding his face as though his cheeks were only blushing and not on fire. He seemed to like it, but it did slow him down a little. "So hot!"

Knowing it was her only chance, Raidou grabbed Binbou-gami's hair – trying not to cringe, because it was oilier than it looked – and swiped her sword at his neck.

"Owww!" Binbou-gami screamed and thrust himself forward. Raidou flew backward again, this time landing on her posterior (that was going to ache the next morning, but this was no time to dwell on it). He'd swung too early; she wasn't able to strike a deep, lasting wound, and unfortunately, his head was still connected to the rest of his grimy body. It seemed to have done enough damage, however, as purple blood seeped out of his neck. The Fiend's already pallid visage grew even whiter as he clutched his wound. "I felt a little warmer when you hit me…! It's so delightful being punished with your love…! Hohoho… I shall never forget the delicate taste of your love-punishment! I shall neeeeeeeever forget! Please, promise me you will share some of your love-punishment with me again, in the future!"

"I promise," said Raidou, receiving an encouraging nod from Gouto as she summoned Pyro Jack into his tube. "But only if you leave now. Otherwise, my...my love-punishment won't be as...special."

"It's a deaaaal!" the Fiend giggled, wiggling his fingers. "Fareweeeeeell…until we meeeeeeet again!"

And Binbou-gami disappeared, leaving only a flurry of hail and magnetite in his wake.

Raidou breathed heavily, closing her eyes for a second. It was heart-pounding, facing a Fiend, and such a sadomasochistic one at that. Her adrenaline rush was fading, leaving her with only shot nerves and a painful tail bone. When she opened her eyes again, there was sunlight on her pale hands. No more dusk or dawn or grey houses. Only a frazzled Tatsumi, who congratulated himself for escaping such an awful situation on his own.

"We've returned to Mannen-Cho," Gouto confirmed, seeing her relief. "To be wily enough to get rid of a Fiend that way, Kotone… I'm proud to have someone like you as my successor."

Kotone beamed, wearing a tiny smile. She still liked to hear him say it; there were days when his scathing words on their first meeting still rang in her mind. "Thank you, Gouto."

"All that's left is Tatsumi. Let's ask him about Dahn."

Raidou nodded and approached Tatsumi. Before she could speak, however, he held a hand to her face and shrugged her off. "Get lost. There's nothing you can do to me. I'm gonna be safe 'cause I'm the lucky Tatsumi."

"I'm not out to kill you," Raidou said to him. (Kotone was lying, of course, though she couldn't admit it even to Gouto. It wasn't a thought that should come across a Raidou's mind.) She showed him Dahn's picture, ever in perfect condition in her cape. "I only wanted to ask about him again."

"I told you before, remember?" Tatsumi sighed. "I don't know that bumpkin!"

"Then what about the insects?"

Tatsumi inched away. He narrowed his eyes. "You know about the insect, right… You're…you're no regular student, are you?"

Raidou glanced down at her uniform. It wasn't even hers.

"Are you…Are you the one they talk about? Wh-Who are you?" he demanded.

Perhaps honesty would beget honesty. "I'm a Devil Summoner," she replied, "by the name of—"

Tatsumi gasped so dramatically it was almost ridiculous. But then, his entire existence was ridiculous. "Wh-What? You're…Are you…Raidou Kuzunoha?" He started talking to himself. "If Raidou's after me, I'm finished. Damn my luck!"

Gouto pawed at his collar with a smirk. "Looks like our reputation precedes us."

"As I said before, I'm not out to kill you." Another lie. From whom had he learned of her? "Now, tell us what you know about Dahn and the insects."

"I don't know much about the insect," Tatsumi suddenly admitted, like the name Raidou Kuzunoha was a truth serum. Gouto beamed at that thought. "I just got it from someone else. Do you remember those masked men? They gave it to me…Th-They tempted me! The insect can steal other people's luck, y'see, and thanks to it I got real lucky…" He took out a thick red container from somewhere on his person. It was the same box one of the masked men had held out to Kotone the day before. "This cage houses the insect. Come to think of it, when I got the insect from the masked men,  _he_  was there!"

"Dahn?"

"No, the guy in the picture! I mean, yes, Dahn! He told me specifically not to tell anyone about them…" said Tatsumi with some exasperation, before suddenly gasping and covering his mouth. "I-I've said too much… Curse my luck! Are they gonna come after me?"

"Very likely," replied Raidou, thinking of how the masked men had followed her hunt for Tatsumi without even Gouto noticing.

"Wait…" Tatsumi went forward and grabbed her arm. "You said you were a Devil Summoner, right? Hey, can you help me? It's your job to protect people, right?"

Raidou removed his hold on her and glanced down at Gouto, who rolled his eyes. "It _is_  your duty."

"Fine," said Raidou.

"Yes!" Tatsumi jumped for joy. "I knew luck was on my side! I'll give you a juicy piece of info about Dahn. Picking a fight with those masked men is the same as picking a fight with  _him_." He glanced at her, his eyebrows bouncing. "You ready for this? Dahn is actually—huh? What's this?"

Something within Tatsumi began to glow. A sphere of light, expanding slowly from his stomach, was growing past his head. It wasn't blinding, but Kotone and Gouto couldn't stand to watch.

"So warm…so…hot…?" Tatsumi muttered, holding out to the beams of light escaping him. "Am I dying…? Hey…"

Raidou returned to her senses and moved forward, reaching out for Tatsumi's hands, but he was already fading away. She only went through him.

"If I die," he said to her, somewhat peacefully, "those masked men can't get me…! I…I really am lucky…"

Another flash of light and he was gone. Only pieces of the red insect cage he was holding were left behind, scattered on the floor.

"No…" Raidou shook her head mournfully. "He didn't finish what he was saying."

Gouto clicked his tongue. "We almost got him to spill everything on his dealings with Dahn! Could the masked men have done this…?"

"It certainly wasn't a demon," said Raidou, kneeling down and collecting the shards of the insect cage in her cape. Tatsumi's luck, shattered in an instant. Divine retribution? Kotone liked to think so. Something in her wondered if even a man like Tatsumi had deserved such an enigmatic fate, but she brushed it away. "What now?"

"Well…since he's up and vanished, we're out of leads. Let's head back to the agency."

* * *

Despite the warning of impending doom from the Yatagarasu and a masked version of herself in a blazing storm, there was something about sitting in the office and doing Shouhei Narumi's work for him that put Kotone at ease.

She was sorting out and rewriting case files on the dining table. Narumi had done a poor job of it, but at the moment was too busy to bother with something so clerical as filing folders correctly. The boss had undertaken the tedious task of putting the insect cage shards back together, warning Gouto beforehand that if he jumped on his desk as he worked  _one more time_ , he was likely to cut the old soul's current tail off.

Gouto prowled about the agency impatiently. Tatsumi's obscure fate had left him hanging, and sitting around, waiting for Narumi to figure something out was too taxing on his nerves. "Kotone, choose a case file. Maybe one of them will give us an idea of what to do next."

"Yes, Gouto. Allow me to finish rewriting this last case file…" the devil summoner mumbled busily. She scribbled a little, then stopped, the right side of her lip shooting up in amusement. Her eyebrows furrowed before she grinned.

Gouto jumped to her table and tilted his head. "What's that?"

Kotone shook her head and sat back, facing Narumi. "Boss, a missing Mahjong set doesn't qualify as a special case. Although, sending  _yourself_  a case file might."

Had Narumi not been so focused on the puzzle of the insect cage, he would have replied with a sheepish or sarcastic remark, but at the moment he was practically kissing the red splinters on his desk. Gouto laughed a little before saying, "Now you know how I feel."

Kotone shrugged. "I suppose we should be glad of the chance to see the boss in action…?"

"Watching his reactions to different types of demons is more entertaining," Gouto sighed. "Pick a case file, Kotone."

Kotone understood that her great ancestor was anxious to get out and find new leads again. She pulled out a neatly written folder. "How about this one? Dr. Victor needs a child of Lilith for one of his experiments."

"Didn't you promise Lilim you would never fuse her?"

"Oh, yes. Too bad," she said humorously. She and Lilim had known each other since childhood. Her clan hated the demoness's mother. Clan training permitted Kotone to use only her father's demons, and Lilith forbade her children to approach the Raidou Kuzunoha line and any of its allies. The newborn Lilim became curious about the up-and-coming summoner her brood so urgently chattered about, however, and approached a then nine-year old Kotone. They warmed to each other in an instant and played together in secret, both knowing the enmity between their families, but when Kotone turned thirteen, the clan uncovered their friendship and ordered the 14th to capture her, despite it being too early for her first demon. Kotone obeyed, as was expected of each Raidou Kuzunoha, but not before swearing to her friend that she would never harm or release her, as doing the latter would unleash the full extent of the fury of the demon girl's mother (under Kotone's bidding, her mother could do nothing). After that they were kept apart for two years and a half until she officially became the 14th. And now they were working together again; with such a history it was probably best if she didn't turn her over to Dr. Victor. "How about—"

There was a rush of air and noise from the street as the door opened. The shoes that clacked into the agency were so familiar that Kotone could almost see their pink hue.

"Hiya, guys!"

Kotone got to her feet and bowed appropriately. "Good morning, Miss Asakura."

Tae hung her jacket on the rack and smiled. "Hi, Kotone, Gouto." She blinked expectantly. When Narumi's sour greeting didn't fill her ears, she stepped deeper into the office with a quirked brow. "Narumi? Oh…"

Narumi was so concentrated that his tongue was sticking out of his mouth, rather childishly in Kotone's opinion, but she couldn't tell what Tae thought of it. The woman's eyes glazed over a little, watching the detective with a gentleness foreign to her personality. For a moment the devil summoner wondered if the reporter was possessed, but Tae snapped out of her reverie before Kotone could test her theory.

Tae put her hands to her hips. "So, even little splinters rate higher than me nowadays, huh?"

"It isn't that," Raidou explained, coming up beside her. "This is ruined evidence from our investigation so far. Boss is only trying to put it back together."

Tae laughed at Kotone's alarm. "I was only kidding. Besides, there's nothing wrong with being passionate about an investigation—I'll forgive him this time. By the way, do you remember that 'spiriting away' at Mannen-Cho I told you about?"

"Yes, of course."

"The missing people came back," the reporter said, almost sounding disappointed. "The police have called off the search, too. Still, no one's seen Tatsumi—so it looks like the case isn't quite closed yet."

Raidou debated in her mind if Tae had the right to know of Tatsumi's indeed mysterious disappearance. "Miss Asakura—"

The screech of Narumi's chair as he slammed it against the wall cut her off. "Holy smokes, Raidou, take a look at this!" the detective exclaimed, pointing at a now complete insect cage. Even Gouto had to admit it was amazing. "Right here, there's—"

Narumi glanced up to grin triumphantly at his protégée, only to lay eyes on his favorite journalist. He straightened abruptly. "T-Tae? Since when did you get here?"

Tae's quirked eyebrow returned. "Swell greeting there, Narumi. You obviously have your hands full, so why don't I go pour myself some coffee?"

Narumi pouted. "This isn't a café…" Still, he turned to Kotone. "Raidou, could you make sure she doesn't break anything?"

"Hey!"

Kotone made a beeline for the coffee in the kitchen and poured Tae a cup, ignoring her indignant huffs and making her sit on the sofa. Gouto spoke to his descendant from the shelf by the rails. "You know, that was only another way of telling you to serve the dame."

"I am aware," replied the devil summoner, whispering as she passed by the cat, "Such is the existence of an errand girl..."

Gouto laughed, prompting a narrowing of the eyes from Narumi, but was ultimately ignored. When Kotone handed Tae her coffee and returned the case files into the shelves, Narumi said, "Thanks, Raidou. Anyway, I tried putting these together, and look what you get…"

Raidou knelt before Narumi's desk, on eye-level with the cage. With the box on its side, she could see a circle at the bottom—a crest.

* * *

"Hah!" Narumi snapped triumphantly at the end of another Investigational Meeting, during which they had completely ignored Tae. She didn't actually mind; she found it entertaining, watching how others dealt with the detective, who continued: "I'm hitting on all sixes today! I remembered something during the meeting. I knew I'd seen that pattern on the insect cage before, in some document or other. It's called the Tento Crest."

Gouto gasped. "The Tento Crest?"

Narumi caught the surprise in his meowing. "Did I alarm you?"

"It seems he's heard of it, too," Raidou replied for the cat. "What is this crest?"

"I'm not too familiar with it, but I do know it's the family crest of an old clan known as the Tsukigata."

Tae nearly sneezed the coffee from her nose. Raidou sat back a little; it seemed the boss was saying all sorts of shocking things today. She wondered what had caught the reporter off guard. "Narumi," said Tae, "did I just hear you say  _Tsukigata_?"

"Tae?" said Narumi. Kotone wondered why they said each other's names so often. "You know something about the Tsukigata you wanna share?"

"Of course!" Tae grinned. "There've been a pile of suspicious VIP deaths in about every area of society through the years…If you dig deep enough into those kinds of cases, a certain name comes up nearly every time."

"Tsukigata," said Narumi, Raidou and Gouto in unison.

Tae nodded, tapping her temple as if it would help her memory. "That name's practically a boogeyman to us journos… Everyone knows you don't get involved with the Tsukigata. Word is, if you so much as let their name slip, men in strange outfits will come for you."

Gouto and Raidou frowned at each other. Black ninja garb, bug-like masks, red insect cages and katanas — strange enough.

Tae continued. "For their crest to be found in the Capital…Well, I…!" The shiver was obvious in her shoulders. "I…I'm…"

"Yeah. The idea that these creeps are lurking somewhere in the Capital… Well, it puts something of a damper on the idea of going for a stroll, doesn't it? But don't worry, Tae," said Narumi, his voice suddenly gentle, but at the same time, firm. The arrogance Kotone and Gouto knew he slipped in there purposely was gone for a moment. Narumi lifted a hand as if to touch her shoulder, but his eyes darted to Kotone and Gouto—especially Gouto—and he withdrew it instantly. He placed both hands on the table and cracked his knuckles. "We have Raidou. And heck, if worst comes to worst, I'll… I'll…"

"I'm interested!" Tae said suddenly, an excited giggle escaping her throat. "You're investigating the Tsukigata? Count me in!"

Narumi sat back. So much for chivalry. "Huh?"

"The Tsukigata clan's the stuff of rumors, folklore, and old wives' tales…" Tae explained, her eyes brighter and brighter by the second, "but you've found a Tento Crest right here in the Capital! This changes everything—they really exist! You've said so yourself, Narumi—hard evidence doesn't lie! Now do you get it?"

Narumi scratched his head. He wasn't warming up to the thought, though he knew Tae wasn't one to be swayed from her crazy ideas. "Well…I suppose."

Kotone watched the exchange with a small chuckle. The boss's exasperation was always amusing. "So," said Raidou, slipping into the conversation, "where do we begin our investigation?"

"Oh! I read somewhere that the Tsukigata are supposed to be in the San'in region."

Narumi's eyes bugged out. "The San'in region? You can't get there without several train transfers out west, further and further…" Narumi rubbed a hand over his face. "Ugh…I get dizzy just thinking of all the time it'll take…"

Tae rolled her eyes. "Come on, Narumi! You're acting like an old grump." She clasped her hands together, sighing dreamily. "Doesn't it sound romantic? A trip to the country?"

"We can bring pillows," Kotone suggested, an index finger positioned thoughtfully on her chin. "Our fellow passengers will be too weary of their own travels to spare us scandalous glances."

"Sorry, Raidou. Pillows aren't going to cut it."

"You know, Kotone," Tae said, her eyes flickering between the devil summoner and her boss, "I'm craving for some strawberry shortcake. Do you think we should pack some for the trip?"

Kotone couldn't understand why Tae's eyebrows were bouncing. Unsurely, she replied, "If that is your wish, I suppose…?"

Tae was expecting a lukewarm answer like that from her; Narumi had admitted that she was the first he'd shared his secret with. "Great! Strawberry shortcake, then. Yum!" She licked her lips and smirked, greatly reminding Raidou of Lilim before an easy battle.

Narumi sighed. He got up and dumped his chair near the bookshelf by his desk, then propped himself on it and reached for a dusty suitcase at the very top. He clapped the webs off of it with a huff. "To the Tsukigata Village…but  _only_  because I want to!"

Tae laughed. "Atta boy."

* * *

Kotone's eyelids opened slowly. She felt her legs stretch themselves out, and in her arms something fuzzy stirred. The room was constantly moving, shaking, like…

"Earthquake…?" she gasped, shooting up in her seat, the fuzzy object still ensconced in her arms.

From across the table, Narumi and Tae glanced at each other quizzically. "Raidou?" said Narumi, an eyebrow raised, "We're on the train to  _that_  village, remember?"

Kotone's vision settled as soon as Narumi's calm voice reached her ears. The place was covered in different hues of red. The walls were bright, the scratchy curtains maroon, and the floor looked to be splashed in fresh blood. They were taking this train into the San'in region and a bus to Tsukigata Village. Narumi and Tae had given her other half of the booth to sleep on when she started yawning earlier on, and Gouto was the fuzzy object in her arms. In surprisingly deep sleep, he moved about, but didn't awaken.

"Yes," she said, her uncharacteristic rubbing of her eyes reminding the two adults with her that she was still a little girl. For Raidou, however, it was a pity she had to wake up all of a sudden. Her wonderful dream was just reaching its climax – Tatsumi was about to slip on his 35th banana peel. "Yes, the train. Of course, boss." Catching sight of the tiny space between Tae and Narumi, the devil summoner felt a little guilty. She was trained to withstand the most uncomfortable circumstances, and yet she had allowed her position as the "child" in the group to acquire this entire half of the booth. "Would…any of you like to switch places?" she asked, though she still wanted to return to her dream. "You both deserve rest."

"It's all right," said Tae.

"It's fine, Raidou," said Narumi, at the same time.

Kotone couldn't help but raise her own brow at the hasty manner in which they'd replied.

"It's real gracious of you," Tae explained, glancing at Narumi as though requesting for support, "but you're the one who does most the fighting, Kotone. You should rest in case anything happens in the village, y'know?"

"You know, I do some fighting, too," said Narumi.

"I didn't say you didn't, I just said she did  _most_  of the fighting. You really do have wax in your ears…"

"Hey!"

"Good night," Kotone said, but to herself, really, because they weren't paying her much mind anymore, and gave Gouto's fur a slight brush before her head hit the pillow and she fell back asleep.

Kotone awoke next to Gouto's grumbling.

"Gouto…?" she yawned soundlessly, stretching her legs out again. "Is something the matter?"

Gouto rolled his cat eyes but shook his head and sighed. "It just bugs me, not being able to have an intelligent conversation when you're not around. Or when you're asleep."

"I'm awake now," Kotone offered in a whisper, still lying on her side. Narumi and Tae were speaking in hushed tones. From her position across and below the table, she could see that they were sitting awfully close to each other. That couldn't be very comfortable. She would offer her spot to them, but she knew they would simply refuse because she was the "child" in the group and they felt they needed to care for her. Even though she was much more capable of defending herself on a few hours of sleep than them on enough hours of rest. "Why, Gouto? Did you just come to a realization?"

"Not really," Gouto shrugged his cat shoulders. "This train ride is just boring."

Kotone couldn't help but grin. "Yes, that is why I've been sleeping through it. We slept through almost the entire trip from home to the Capital. Is something keeping you up, Gouto?"

"Just a feeling is all," Gouto replied, twirling at his whiskers. "I haven't actually seen anyone yet, but call it summoner's intuition when I say we're being followed."

"Those strange men in masks followed us without us even realizing it," Kotone remembered, feeling vulnerable all of a sudden. She remembered the Fukorutsubo and whatever they had done to her in there, with that bright light and her feeling empty, and how she had been walking into doors and tripping over completely flat floors lately. "My own damn luck, they said… If we are forced to battle here, I hope the boss and Miss Asakura have enough sense to stay away."

"You say that like their company is a bad thing."

"It's much appreciated, even by you," whispered Kotone, defensively. "But they don't understand how it is to be a Protector of the Capital. Only you and I do, Gouto. If they enter battle not knowing what is at stake – their lives – if only for my sake and are injured, that would be foolish, wouldn't it? They aren't trained warriors. Although the boss was able to pick up on how to handle my gun and the powers the demons could lend it, he is still shaken by the strange, sometimes hideous sight of them. Nezha isn't half as terrifying as Rangda, for example. We can't afford to think of that in battle."

Only she could recognize the twirl of Gouto's mouth as a smirk. "Narumi was shaken by those Fury Nezha…the way you were petrified by that oversized grasshopper, Jiromaru?"

Kotone stopped for a moment and frowned. "There's a difference, Gouto."

"No," Gouto said, "there isn't. Now stop worrying about those two; they're grown adults. Besides, if there's a possibility that Tae'll come to any harm, Narumi'll be right on the case. You should focus on defeating whatever it is that attacks us.  _If_  we come under attack at all. You worry too much sometimes, Kotone."

Kotone blinked. "It was you who said we were being followed."

"True, but—"

"Kotone?" came Tae's voice from above. "You're awake?"

Kotone lifted herself with her left arm and peered up at the two adults now staring at her. They seemed very guilty, though she couldn't think of why. They didn't hear her speaking with Gouto, did they? "Oh, yes." She straightened herself up and peeled the curtains back to see outside the train. Lots and lots of countryside, with hills rolling and forests coming in and out of view. "Are we there yet?"

Narumi and Tae grinned at each other, and the former replied, "Nope. A few more hours, I'd say. Go back to sleep, Raidou."

"It's all right," said Gouto, patting her hand with a paw. "I'm going to look around for anyone who might be following us."

"But Gouto—"

"Good night, Kotone," said the first Raidou Kuzunoha.

"Good night," she sighed.

Kotone awoke next when she finally tired of sleeping.

The devil summoner sat up, completely refreshed. She checked herself for her belongings. Schoolcap still in place (of course), cape on her back, shoes and socks on her feet, gun in its holster, tubes on her chest, antd Narumi had hidden her sword in his tall suitcase. And yet there was something wrong…

The seats before her were empty. Raidou stood up slightly and glanced around the passenger car. The boss had earlier mentioned the existence of a bar on one of the cars, and in response Tae had invited him to see how like the Shin Sekai it was. Upon failing to see her companions, she shrugged and slid back into her seat. Her eyes landed on something white against the stark brown from across the table. It was a note that confirmed her suspicions and calmed any fears she might have had of her companions being transported to the Fukorutsubo. In any case, the latter was a silly theory. The masked men had fought her, not the boss, and they didn't even know Tae. Or perhaps they did, what with all the stalking they had done to the members of the Narumi Detective Agency lately.

Raidou shook her head. This did nothing for her nerves, and Tae had already said, in her distinctively curly handwriting, that they were off to the bar. This didn't count for Gouto's absence in their booth, but the devil summoner figured her ancestor was still off searching for pursuers. She hoped he hadn't been captured.

There was also a clump of curls just below the doorway. Its owner was staring directly at her.

Raidou froze, staring at the hat of the man behind the other side of the booth. At the far end of the passenger car, his body she could barely see because he was wearing predominantly red clothing that blended with the train's inner red walls, was a man with chaotic, curly hair. She could see him from the corner of her eye, his eyes glaring into her existence.

When she moved to make eye contact, he disappeared behind the doors.

Was this a challenge? Raidou stood, swiftly enough to suit her tastes but slowly so as not to startle the rest of the passengers. She followed him out the door after slamming her nose into it and into the next passenger car where the bar was, though she barely noticed the purple bonnet and the white hat which turned in her direction when she bolted and nearly tripped past them and out the door again. She jumped and lifted herself to the car's roof, thinking she could see him from above if he were to run from car to car, but there was no one. In her haste, Raidou failed to notice the oversized grasshopper flying in the opposite direction of the train.

"Young man," called a man's voice from below, "young man! Get down from there. Don't you know you could die?"

Raidou peered off the edge and saw one of the train company's employees. "Yes. Forgive me," she said in a deliberately low voice, and dusted her pant legs off once she climbed down the ladder, almost slipping off. It simply wasn't her week. "I thought I saw a…a rare tree in the distance. I'm an avid tree scholar."

The employee rolled his eyes. "Stay in your seat, kid," he said, opening the car door and shoving Raidou inside. "Damn hooligans…"

Raidou ignored that bitter member of the work force and continued to dust herself inside the train. Two familiar figures entered the passenger car just as she looked up: Narumi and Tae.

"Raidou," said Narumi, grabbing her by the shoulder.

"Kotone!" Tae exclaimed, pulling her by the arm. The two adults dragged her past the car with the bar and back into their booth.

"What just happened?" asked Narumi, forcing her back into her seat.

"I thought I saw Dahn," replied Raidou, smoothing out the creases on her cousin's uniform when they released her. "But whether or not it was really him, he disappeared. Didn't you see the man in red running past your passenger car?"

Tae shook her head. "There was only you, Kotone."

Narumi gave her a badly concealed look of worry and said, "Maybe you should go back to sleep, Raidou."

* * *

The Tsukigata Village was extremely gloomy.

For all the hard work and pain the Kuzunoha Village put Kotone through, it was never this depressing. It was lively, even, with the presence of demons, though sometimes to the point of being chaotic, and almost always hot and sunny. Over here in the San'in region it was cold – not only the weather, but the people, too. The Kuzunoha village was wary of outsiders as well, but they at least masked it with warm smiles and kind words, however ready they were with the swords on their hips. If not the Kuzunoha Village, then the Dark Realm. At least there the sky and the demons were colorful; here  _everything_  was grey, from the sky to the houses to the people's clothing, except perhaps for the green and red masks hanging on the front doors of the poor villagers' houses that reminded her of watermelons.

Lilim was having great fun reading the minds of the locals. "Listen to this one, Kotone," she giggled, flying over to an old woman. "She thinks that just the sight of you outsiders makes her stomach churn! Oh, isn't it ridiculous?"

"Please be quiet, Lilim," said Raidou, waving at her dismissively, which actually defeated the whole point of her summoning Lilim. So much for entertainment.

"Yeah, so much for entertainment," said Lilim, rolling her eyes. "You're becoming as boring as these villagers! Then again, you've always been a little dull…"

Kotone straightened up and crossed her arms at Lilim. "You were reading my mind? I thought we agreed that you would never trespass. Do you want me to fuse you?"

Lilim grinned. "Well, that got a rise out of you, didn't it? Which is more than I can say for these weird villagers…and it really is sad how you don't even try to deny that you're boring."

Raidou shrugged her off and sent her back into her tube. At any rate, a devil summoner had no business looking for entertainment when they were on a case. She and Gouto (who had turned out to be asleep on Narumi and Tae's side of the booth) caught up with Narumi and Tae up the village steps. They came upon a house of brown and white – the most color she had seen since they arrived – surrounded by greenery and the inviting smell of hot springs to the right. An apron-wearing old woman whose hair was pulled into a bun met them on their way toward it.

"Hey there," she said, giving them a crooked smile. Raidou didn't need Lilim to know that she was just as wary of them as the rest of the villagers. "Whatcha lookin' for?"

"The Fukuroku Inn, ma'am," said Narumi, tipping his hat. Tae gave one of her winning smiles while Raidou and Gouto inclined their heads.

"Well, yer in luck," said the woman, keeping up her crooked smile, though she seemed to be having a hard time with it. "The building yew see right in front there is the Fukuroku Inn. Came to stay, right? Go on in."

"Thank you, ma'am," said Narumi and Tae in unison, and entered.

"The town may be…rustic," said Gouto, looking up at the establishment with a step forward, "but the inn seems pretty solidly built."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" the innkeeper cried out, stepping forward as if to kick Gouto. Raidou stepped in the way, a hand to her sword's hilt already. The old woman backed away, recognizing the protective flash of her eyes, but still frowned. "Keep that cat o'yers on a leash, y'hear?"

Raidou released her sword and bowed. "Yes, ma'am."

"And don't ever… _ever_ …fool around with this mask, understand?" the old woman motioned to the mask that reminded Kotone of watermelons hanging in front of the door. It looked so familiar, and not because it was making her hungry. The innkeeper continued, "Didja think the mask looked like a tasty watermelon?"

Raidou didn't reply. Were the people here secretly Pagan-order demons? Surely not. She would have sensed it.

The innkeeper smirked, as though reading her mind again. "Smart girl. Yew'll catch hell if yew don't think before yew talk. Yew'd better not touch Lord Shinado's mask. It's very holy."

"Thank you for the warning, ma'am," said Raidou, bowing again, but felt the triumphant one as the thought of touching the mask behind her back crept into her thoughts. Her father and Gouto had always said that Lilim was a terrible influence.

* * *

Later that night, Kotone listened to her boss and Miss Asakura exchange friendly banter about the five star Fukuroku Inn and whatnot. She would have joined the conversation, but there were other things on her mind. The lack of battles since they arrived here, for instance. She was the Protector of the Capital and should like peace, but from time to time she liked a challenging battle, or at least something on which to take out her frustrations; an outlet, her mother called it. Frustrations due to the way that innkeeper had addressed Gouto, for example, as though he were a mere alley cat. She wanted to step outside and order Mezuki to spar with her, but she needed her energy in case there was an attack. She hoped there would be an attack soon, because there was a fire in her at the moment that could only be extinguished by a good battle.

"Kotone? Kotone?" Tae's voice called from a land that seemed far away.

Or right beside her. Kotone glanced to her left and caught Tae's worried smile. "I'm sorry, I was deep in thought. What was it, Miss Asakura?"

"Did the inn's hostess snap at you?"

"A little," she shrugged. "She was quite cranky."

"I bet you tried to touch the mask out front, huh? I caught holy hell for doing the same."

"Actually—"

"It's all over town, if you haven't noticed," Tae continued. "There's a custom here of hanging up a green mask. That's Shinado, an indigenous god. Hanging the mask is a form of reverence…"

"Yes, the innkeeper told me. She was extremely ornery about it."

Tae giggled at that. "That might've been my—hmm?"

Narumi and Kotone followed Tae's eyes towards Gouto. "There's something caught in Gouto's collar here…"

Having been relaxing by himself, Gouto's eyes bulged as Tae reached into his collar. "H-Hey! Wh-What are you…!"

Kotone recognized the little object Tae had pulled out as her mentor's Detective Notebook. "Oops," she muttered, giving Gouto a sheepish upturn of the lips when he glared at her as if to say,  _Why didn't you warn me?_

"Holy cats!" Tae exclaimed, flipping the notebook open, "Some kind of notebook…? Oh, how cute!" She nuzzled Gouto's chin as if to say  _Good job!_

Gouto didn't appreciate it, however. "G-Give that back!" he snarled, clawing at it though it was far beyond his reach. "That's my detective's notebook!"

"I've never seen such a small notebook before. Which department store sells these…?" Tae pondered. Narumi didn't need Kotone's mangled translations to understand Gouto's pitiful protests, but the two members of the Detective Agency were far too entertained by Tae's wonder to intervene. Before anyone knew it, Tae had written her own entry into Gouto's notebook and the cat looked almost as depressed as the rest of the townspeople.

"Th-This is an outrage…" said Gouto, flipping the notebook open to the page Tae had written in and feeling very tempted to claw the page out. He read through it, however, and found the entry useful. Unfortunately. He really wanted to claw it out, chew it up, spit it out, and bury it forever. His cat eyes narrowed to slits. "That notebook contained records of every Kuzunoha Devil Summoner I've watched over… That notebook has a history! And…someone else wrote in it…"

"I'm sorry, Gouto," said Kotone, brushing her hand over his head.

"What did he say?" Tae asked.

"Your entry was…informative, but he would appreciate it if you didn't write in  _his_  notebook again," she answered, leaving out the parts where Gouto probably wanted to summon a demon at her at that very moment.

"Oh, okay. Sorry, Gouto," said Tae, a cheerful smile on her face. "I'll get you some catnip to make up for it next time, hmm?"

Narumi cleared his throat. "Now, Tae, sorry to break up your little tête à tête with Gouto, but…" he gave Gouto, who still looked to be murderous, an apologetic look. "It's time you spilled it. Tell us about Dahn's house."

"Oh, yeah, of course," said Tae. "The Tento Crest tipped me off, actually. Long story short, the Tsukigata clan are the rulers of the Tsukigata Village! Earlier, I started asking around about the Tsukigata Mansion, and I found out what the chief's son's name is. Care to guess?" Before anyone could venture a guess, Tae's excitement got the better of her. "It's Dahn!" she exclaimed, waving her hands a little as though that would make her less jumpy. "The very same man you're after!"

"I see," said Narumi. "Our Dahn, the one Akane wants us to find, has some connection with the Fukoshi and the Tento Crest… While Tae's Dahn is the scion of the Tsukigata clan, a clan of Fukoshi whose family crest is the Tento. Same name. Same associations. And that means…"

"I wish he wouldn't go around and around like this," Gouto grumbled, still sulking.

"The Tsukigata Mansion you scouted out is the home of the same man," Narumi finished.

"Right as rain. Well done, detective," Tae grinned.

"And you think we'll find some more leads or Dahn here, do you?" Narumi said to her. "Well, it's worth a shot… Right, Raidou?"

Kotone was surprised to be included in their conversation – they had been having many of their own recently – but replied quickly. "Yes, boss." It was certainly better than sitting around here and waiting for the cranky innkeeper to visit and scold her about whatever came to mind again.

"But it's getting late," said Narumi, checking his watch. "Let's start fresh tomorrow, okay?"

Kotone nodded, and Tae pointed to the door. "All right. Narumi, Gouto, get to your own room."

"Already up," said the boss with a slight upturn of the lips, but his face became stern as he called Kotone to the door. Gouto was already at his feet, ready for some rest after a disappointing night. "Raidou, can I talk to you for a second?"

The girl was at his side in an instant. "If things turn bad, I don't mind if I take a few lumps, but I'd rather Tae not get caught up in this," said Narumi.

"Of course, boss," said Kotone. "If you can keep Miss Asakura out of the way, I can take care of any problem that might arise."

Narumi blinked. He meant to be the one to battle, of course, to keep Tae safe, but apparently he'd forgotten that his youthful apprentice was a great Devil Summoner with one world-saving feat under her belt already. "Yeah. Yeah, of course. Good night, Raidou. Good night, Tae," he called out to the reporter.

"It's Kichou!" Miss Asakura yelled right before Narumi closed the door with a smirk. Dismissing him with a shrug, Tae turned to Kotone. "You two are thick as thieves. So what were you two whispering about, hmm?"

"Nothing so secretive so as to be thick as thieves," said Kotone, thoughtfully. "He was only worried about you. But he trusts I can keep you safe."

Tae's face went red. "O-Oh. That's very nice of him."

"Don't be angry, Miss Asakura," said Kotone, who wasn't quite in the mood for another of Tae's feminist rants. She enjoyed hearing them often and usually agreed, but the night wasn't going by quickly enough and she wanted to sleep (no matter how energized she felt) just to reach tomorrow. There was something about this village that made her anxious. "The boss respects your, er, independence, but allow him this one worry. It isn't often he shows his concern for others."

"Oh," Tae smiled in amusement, the color of her face returning to normal. "I'm not angry! Don't worry. Good night, Kotone."

For the fourth time that day, Kotone nodded off into her pillow and said, "Good night."

* * *

" _Stop the fretful baby's wail_

_Take from the earth the moon so pale_

_Feed the baby his meal frail_

_Ma in the sky is watching you_

_When the sky is pierced right through_

_You'll sleep at Great Ma's bosom too_

_Don't let the fretful baby cry_

_Ma'll cut you to shreds and you'll die_

_Ma'll rip you apart and you'll die._ "

Raidou shook her head once she finished the song. Narumi had taken just about forever ("And I know forever," said Gouto) to get up and go, so Raidou had taken the time to speak with the few villagers who didn't glare at her and hiss as soon as she was five feet away. That was a song she had just learned from two relatively friendly little girls from the village. "That was a mite morbid, don't you think?"

"Not just a little," Narumi snorted. "And not very appropriate considering it's a children's song."

Now she, Narumi, and Gouto were on their way to the Tento Woods, the only thing standing between them and the Tsukigata Mansion. With the exception, perhaps, of a girl by the entrance of the Woods. She was standing beside what seemed to be a weathered old supply cabin. As they neared her, Raidou realized how  _white_  she was. They were pale – most of her countrymen were – but this foreign girl, if she would only step into the sunlight, Kotone was sure the light would  _radiate_  off of her. And her ice blue eyes were interesting.

She thought of that handsome foreign boy, that Louis, but while his eyes, too, were cold, they were a deeper shade of blue, and he wasn't nearly as pale. In fact, in the heat of that first day she met him, his cheeks were rather pink. Though a suspicious character, he really was very handsome. Or it could have been that great power of his that made him appealing, the same way Gouto and the wisdom he emanated usually made strangers act foolishly or unsurely around her.

When Raidou was finished staring at her and thinking, she realized Narumi had already begun to speak with the girl. "Hello there," he had said, tipping his hat off to her and taking out the Tento Crest portion of the box he had pieced together, "Say, do you know anything about this crest? It's supposed to be the Tsukigata family crest, but…"

The blue-eyed girl said nothing. She only brushed her long, jet black hair and stared back at Narumi. When she noticed Raidou, she decided to stare at her, instead.

Narumi cleared his throat. "Well then," he said, tipping his hat again and turning away, "Sorry to bother you…"

Before Raidou could break eye contact and follow her boss, the blue-eyed girl spoke. "Go straight through this forest," she said in perfect Japanese, her eyes burning into Raidou's. The Great Summoner didn't mind; she had gained Gozuki's respect when she was able to keep eye contact with him, unintimidated, so it was very likely that this was the way to convince the girl to speak, too. She continued, "After you pass through to the other side, you will see a mansion in the basin ahead. That mansion is the Tsukigata residence you seek."

Raidou inclined her head gratefully, but she couldn't bring herself to smile just yet. "Thank you."

Before they could enter the thickets, the blue-eyed girl called after them. "I can offer you one warning," she said. "It's why I was waiting here. Your arrival is within the bounds of their conjecture."

The members of the Narumi Detective Agency turned around and met eyes. Gouto spoke their collective thought: "They're expecting us…?"

The girl paused for a moment, and then nodded. "Exactly."

Kotone's mind raced. The girl could understand Gouto. She couldn't be a mentor herself. And that sword on her hip…could she be…? A girl her age? A Summoner, too? How…interesting.

"My words are particularly directed towards the…student there," said the blue-eyed girl, staring at Raidou again. "The process you have chosen is, in theory, filled with peril… I would prefer it if this  _goodbye_  does not become an eternal farewell." After another short pause, she said, "Goodbye."

The three watched her saunter out of the Tento Woods. Once she was gone, Narumi smirked. "She went from clamming up to practically gushing… I don't get young girls these days." He frowned. "Wait, does that make me sound old?"

Raidou furrowed her eyebrows at him, as if to ask why his thoughts were so trivial compared to what she had in mind, which she expressed soon after. "Gouto, she understood you. I think she may be a Summoner. Like me. A Summoner my age, can you imagine?"

"It's possible…" Gouto said, still unnerved that another young girl had understood him.

"I've never seen you so excited," Narumi said of her hurried speech, no matter how slight. To those who knew her like he did, that was a big enough change to cause alarm. "I never thought excited could even be placed in the same sentence as you, Raidou."

"It isn't every day I see another female Summoner my age," Kotone explained.

Narumi shrugged. "We'll figure that little tidbit out another time. C'mon, we know where we're going now. Let's be on our way to the Tsukigata mansion. She said it's just past this forest, right?"

"Yes, in a basin," said Raidou, regaining the little composure she had lost. "We should get going. We don't want to stay here until dark, after all, when it's most dangerous."

Narumi almost laughed. "Raidou, it's barely noon. What makes you think we won't find that basin before the sun sets?"


	5. The Summoner of Tsukigata

"Something tells me we won't find that basin before the sun sets," said Narumi glumly.

They had been going around the Woods for what already felt like days, though his watch said otherwise. It wasn't that he didn't appreciate nature, but the former military man just couldn't understand why the people of Tsukigata village hadn't cut a clear path towards their chief's home yet. Everything looked the same. The same trees, the same shrubs, the same creepy vines that seemed to follow them around everywhere. For all his and Raidou's and Gouto's expertise in their own fields of knowledge, the Narumi Detective Agency was lost.

"You all right back there, Raidou?" he called, and looked back just in time to see the devil summoner slip. She regained her balance quickly, jumped backward and stabbed something in the air before her as soon as she landed. Whatever Raidou had stabbed, she turned over to the side with her sword, now dripping with violet blood.

"Thank you, Dominion," she said to the demon beside her.

"You are most welcome, Kotone," replied Dominion. "They don't make those Fury order Turdak like they used to. Are you all right? You've been quite clumsy of late."

"I'm all right. In any case, I suspect the Turdak usually prey on villagers, and have become lax in their training," the devil summoner thought aloud.

"Quite possibly," said Dominion. "You must take care not to let that happen to you, Kotone."

Raidou agreed and returned Dominion to his tube. She caught up with Narumi, using one of the enormous leaves in the forest to clean her sword, and said, "You called, boss?"

"Interesting conversation you were having there," he muttered. "Anyway, we've been here for almost an hour. Something's not right."

"I agree," said Gouto, before yelling out, "Show yourself, you trickster!"

Narumi tried not to snicker at the loud meowing Gouto was doing and turned to his assistant. "What did he say, Raidou?"

"A demon is likely the reason why we're lost like this. He's trying to correct the situation, boss."

"Why are you getting in our way?" Gouto continued to shout.

A black and blue flash of light signified their trickster's arrival. It was a High Pixie, clothed in a pretty blue and red kimono, not that Raidou understood nor cared for the semantics of fashion. She appreciated the pretty shimmer of the demon's wings, however, despite how it now reminded her of Jiromaru and bugs.

"Umm, how do I say this," said the High Pixie in its uncertain, high-pitched voice. "I'm helping out a friend?"

"Your helping out a friend is hindering us," said Raidou, finished with admiring her wings. She didn't mind not having to leave the woods immediately—the demons here provided for a good fight every now and then—but she didn't like being led around. "I suggest you stop immediately."

"W-Wait," said the High Pixie, catching Raidou's trigger hand reaching for the gun holster, "you met the girl at the entrance to the Woods, right? Na—I mean, she wanted to warn you that going to that house would be dangerous. That's why I was helping her."

"But you must have known that just getting us lost wouldn't stop us from going through the woods…" Gouto said, groaning in exasperation.

"What's happening?" asked Narumi, staring at the space where the High Pixie should have been.

"That blue-eyed girl  _is_  a devil summoner," Raidou whispered to him as Gouto spoke, "or, at the very least, she's persuaded this High Pixie to trick us into going around in circles."

"Either way," Gouto continued, "we're heading to the Tsukigata Mansion. Unless you have any objections, Ms. Fancy Faerie?"

The High Pixie glanced from the stern cat, the girl with the gun, and the man with a lost look on his face. "…Fine, then," she resigned with a helpless sigh. "She didn't say you couldn't go. She just wanted to make you understand that it's dangerous. Please, just understand that about her…"

Before either Raidou could reply, the High Pixie disappeared. Gouto grunted in annoyance. "What was with that faerie? Was she really stalling us because she was worried?"

"The blue-eyed girl did seem very peculiar. And now there is an even greater possibility that she's a summoner."

Gouto shrugged. "Probably. No use pondering it now. We have places to be."

"What's happening  _now_?" Narumi said, with a tone that might have made Raidou wonder if Gouto's irritability was contagious. He hated being out of the loop. At least he could understand things in the hazy Fukorutsubo.

"Let's just go, boss," said Raidou, guiding him forward. Once they stepped out of the cluster of bushes and trees, they were in the clear. Below the cliff on which they stood was a basin with a mansion in its center.

"We're here, Raidou," said Narumi, waving at her hurriedly. "That's the Tsukigata Mansion! We finally made it to Dahn's old homestead."

"Does it call for a celebration, boss?" asked Raidou, checking for the amount of triumph on his face.

Narumi shook his head, however, and carried a grim expression. "…The Tsukigata clan is a family of assassins, right? And we're heading right into the heart of their base…"

Raidou chose not to add how Gouto had mentioned that these assassins used  _bugs_  to carry out their missions. It would only unnerve…people. "Don't worry, boss," she said, clutching the tubes on her chest. "You, Gouto, my demons, and I…we're a force to be reckoned with. Not even Sukuna-Hikona could deny that, and he was a deity."

"…Yeah," Narumi said after some thought. "Yeah, we thrashed that little god something fierce. But it's always good to stay on our toes."

"Right."

From above the basin, the Tsukigata Mansion seemed to be named aptly. Up close, Raidou thought it should have been called the Tsukigata Palace. The ramps at the façade led up into the main mansion, and from there one could reach the smaller buildings with little ponds and miniature parks in between. Raidou saw none of this, of course, but Dominion had never been one to lie, so the devil summoner took his descriptions to heart.

When Dominion returned to his tube, Raidou approached Narumi, who seemed to be locked in a staring contest with an almond-eyed servant standing outside the mansion.

"Please leave, strangers," the servant spoke when Raidou was close enough to hear her. "This is the place closest to the heavens. What business have yew at Tsukigata Mansion, home to the chief of Tsukigata Village?"

"We are on a search for a young man named Dahn," the summoner explained. "We were hoping we might find clues as to his whereabouts here."

The almond-eyed servant looked away for just an instant, trying to hide the shocked expression that had taken over her features. And then she looked at them again, the unwelcome line on her mouth set back in its place. "Please leave."

"We're here from the Capital on business," Narumi repeated, taking out the photo Akane had supplied and showing it to the woman. "Looking for this fellow called Dahn, like Raidou said. A little bird told us that this is Dahn's home, so—"

"Ah don't know this  _Dahn_  yer referrin' to," said the woman, turning the photo away after catching the slightest glimpse of it. "He's a stranger to me, ah'm afraid. Please leave."

Narumi backed off, as did his apprentice and her cat. When they were out of hearing range, he asked, "You catch that, Raidou?"

His assistant nodded. "She was shocked when we mentioned Dahn. She knows."

Narumi bit his lip in deep thought. "We've gotta provoke her into admitting she knows something, somehow…"

"I know just the thing," said Raidou, whipping out a tube from her chest. With a flash of green light only she and Gouto could see, Lilim hovered over them with an angry pout.

"I hate you, Kotone!"

"Now isn't the time, Lilim," said her devil summoner, waving dismissively again. "We need you to read that old woman's mind."

Lilim glared at her, crossed her arms, and turned her head with a great harrumph.

"All right," said Kotone, holding her hands up in defeat, and continued perfunctorily, "forgive me, Lilim, for returning you to your tube while you were speaking."

"For the umpteenth time!"

"For the umpteenth time."

Lilim narrowed her eyes at Kotone. "Do you mean it?"

"Yes."

"Promise not to do it again?"

Kotone stared at her skeptically. "Lilim, we've known each other since childhood. Given your penchant for chatting and my constant need to be on the alert, you know I cannot promise you anything."

Lilim frowned again, but considered her friend's words and sighed. "Oh, all right, all right. This investigation is taking way too long, anyway. Here I go!"

Narumi felt that ear popping sensation again, but he wasn't taken by surprise this time, having heard Raidou's instructions before she had gone into some silly conversation with her demon. This time, the servant woman's voice was amplified in his head: "Th-That photo…! That's the photo they asked me to take… The picture of the young master… Ah thought ah gave it to the young mistress. Why…" the woman's thoughts were becoming frantic. "Why would these people have the photograph she was carrying?"

Narumi and Raidou met eyes, and then with Gouto. "There's no way she doesn't know Dahn," said the cat. "This is it…!"

"Well, well," said Lilim, pretending to shine her nails with her right thumb, "looks like another job well do–"

"Much appreciated, Lilim," said Kotone, returning her to her tube. She approached the servant glaring at her as though hoping it would stop her in her tracks and cause her to spontaneously combust. "Ma'am," said Raidou, "about the photo my boss tried to show you…"

It seemed to take the almond-eyed servant all her energy not to stomp her feet and thrash about. "Come now!" she nearly screamed, "Who do yew think yew are? Yer irritatin' me! I-If yew don't leave now…ah can't guarantee yer safety!"

Narumi stepped forward. "Whoa, whoa…our safety…? That's not very friendly… If Raidou said something rude, I apologize for the kid. What'd you say to her, Raidou…?"

"I was going to ask about the photo," Raidou whispered, leaning forward. She was beginning to think all the old women in this village were crabby and bitter. Then again, the teachers in her high school weren't very kind about her skipping school to save the Capital, either. "The one she took, boss."

Narumi pulled back and turned to the woman. "Doesn't sound like Raidou did anything wrong to me."

The old woman appeared a little guilty. Raidou wasn't surprised. It wasn't the first time her boss had managed to calm an older woman down with just his tone of voice. Gouto said it was actually because they found him attractive, but she didn't understand the concept of it. She found that Louis attractive, for example, but she certainly wouldn't bend to his will.

"Anyway, I'd kinda like to hear more about this photo myself…" Narumi showed her the photo once more. "You said you don't know the man, right? Yeah, I remember hearing that…so how do you square that with being the one who took this photo? It  _was_  you who took it, right?"

"E-Er…No, uh…"

Raidou would applaud her boss if they had a larger audience. He had the old woman cornered. It didn't sound as glorious as it was, but it was a feat. Like she had thought earlier, the old women in this village were terrifying and rude.

"Maybe I should tell you?" Narumi said, with a tilt to the head that added to his excellent delivery, "The cat's out of the bag, I'm afraid."

Gouto smirked. "I am, you know."

The woman fumbled over herself for words. "I-I…I…!"

"What's all this racket…?" an elderly voice called out. It was aged, but stern. Not unlike Councilman Narita's, but this time with real authority.

A balding old man dressed in more slightly more ceremonial clothing than the rest of the villagers emerged from the bushes surrounding the mansion, his hands clasped behind his back; his old age clearly affected him, as evidenced by his slouch. Raidou wondered what he was doing in there, but was distracted by the old woman's gasp and low bow.

"Ch-Chief!"

The old man seemed not to hear the servant and instead cast his gaze on the grown man, the little girl dressed in boy's clothes, and the black cat that stared back at him inquisitively. Running a hand over his scalp, he remarked with perfect standard diction, "Ah…guests from the Capital. I apologize that you had to come so far, but…unfortunately, Dahn Tsukigata isn't here."

Narumi forced his head not to incline the way it did whenever he saw something to take note of, like the way the old man's eyes flashed when he mentioned Dahn's name, or how his features seemed gentle but his eyes were full of distrust and hostility. "Sorry, Chief," he said, "but did I just hear you say Dahn  _Tsukigata_?" he glanced at Raidou. "This really is Dahn's house."

"Yes. I wonder what he's doing so far away from home," replied Raidou.

The Chief watched their exchange with growing aggravation. "I think," he said, "it's best you went home while I'm still smiling. Those in this village who ignore what I, the chief of the Tsukigata clan, tell them… They must be dealt with. I'd hate to have to resort to rough stuff. No matter who that may be. Wouldn't you agree, Devil Summoner from the Capital?"

Scratch that, Raidou thought, choosing not to reply again. All the old people in this village were more hostile than demons themselves. Narumi, too, was shocked, and allowed the Chief to finish.

"Our guests are leaving now." With a clap of his hands, two big, burly men came out of nowhere, like a pair of Orthruses ready to pounce.

Narumi wouldn't understand the reference if his apprentice told him, but he got the message. "This isn't looking good. Let's cool it for now, Raidou."

After leaving the basin with the chief and his guards breathing down their necks, Narumi, Raidou and Gouto temporarily parted ways. Gouto decided to rest in the inn and mourn over the privacy of his notebook, Narumi decided to relax in the Shirahige Hot Springs right beside the inn, and Raidou decided to do a little more investigating.

It was a failure, of course. It was as if the villagers had all disappeared, even the two little girls playing outside earlier. Raidou wondered if there was some demon that plagued them at this certain hour, but she didn't sense or see any dangerous demons loitering outside the Tento Woods. The villagers had just barricaded themselves into their houses, like they just couldn't stand the presence of the ungodly outsiders anymore.

It was a little offensive, but Kotone didn't care much if it was true. She was accustomed to receiving odd looks in school, especially once after the Red Cape incident when Lilim had escaped her tube and followed her to school. It was total chaos, what with Lilim possessing teachers and teaching her classmates the art of seduction and Kotone seemed to be the only one with whom the 'teachers' spoke normally, but thankfully the demoness returned to her tube right before the school authorities called on the Kuzunoha clan for further investigation.

After an hour of searching the village for possible acquaintances (to no avail), Kotone decided to join her ancestor at the inn for a snack. Snack turned out to be early dinner when Narumi arrived, and after a healthy traditional Japanese meal, the three were stuffed. She didn't remember much after that—Narumi said something about missing Miss Asakura, Gouto felt woozy,  _she_  felt woozy, Narumi felt woozy, and Raidou thought of how foolish she was for accepting food from a village whose chief had just threatened their lives before her consciousness slipped away completely.

* * *

_"And do you see the way that maid looks at Nakamura?" Kaya asked, peering at her servants below from the second floor of the Daidouji mansion. "He looks at her the same way when she isn't looking. Don't you think it's sweet, Kotone?"_

_"I've seen my parents look at each other the same way," said Kotone. "It's love, yes? I suppose one could find it sweet…"_

_"How did your parents meet?"_

_"My parents…? They lived in neighboring villages," she answered. "My father was training to be a Devil Summoner and my mother was training to be, well, a wife. There lived a rich young man in my mother's village who wanted my mother's hand, but my mother had seen my father during his errand-running to buy food from their farm and was quite smitten. When the young man could not accept my mother's rejection, he pretended to agree to friendship and invited her family to his home. Her parents accepted because of his wealth, and he drugged them all and kidnapped my mother, saying he would never release her until her parents coerced her into marrying him."_

_Kaya gasped. The ending to that story stood right next to her, but she liked to pretend she was a normal, giddy schoolgirl who didn't know any better. It made her forget all about the Red Cape incident, but not_ everything _, because then she and Rin never would have met Kotone otherwise. "And what did your father do?"_

_"As it turns out, my father was smitten as well, which was all well and good for them, so as soon as he heard of the young man's treachery, he set upon the mansion she was held captive in and destroyed the young man."_

_"...Destroyed him?"_

_"Oh, yes. He knocked the young man unconscious after a little beating and tied him to a post for the two villages to see, until the young man's relatives claimed him and set him down. Naturally, my mother later accepted my father's proposal, to which the Clan had no objections."_

_Kaya smiled. "That's very romantic."_

_"My mother says that, too," said Kotone. The Kuzunoha Council had earlier reminded her that her father's actions were excessive, but she left that part out, as well as the part where her mother nearly died giving birth to her, knowing that would have turned the whole thing into something quite morbid._

_"You don't seem very interested at all," said Kaya, noting the nonchalance on her friend's face. "Thanks to you, my curse has been lifted and I can think of things like this freely. I can never thank you enough for that, Kotone. But I'm curious. I see romance in this story, but what do you…?"_

_Kotone gave Kaya a pleasant smile. No one had ever asked about her thoughts on such a matter before. "A lesson," she replied. "Don't accept a meal from someone when you know they've had intentions for you in the past."_

_Kaya blinked. "That…is very logical."_

_"Yes," Kotone nodded, though only those close to her would know the pride in her calm voice. "It is."_

It was foolish when her mother had fallen for it, and it was foolish now. Though it shamed Raidou to admit, her mother's case could still be forgiven. The young man had pretended to have no malignant intentions for her. The Tsukigata Village and its people, on the other hand, had openly expressed their hatred and their desire to purge their world of the Devil Summoner from the Capital and her boss and her cat and her friend, that nosy woman with the purple bonnet, and yet she'd accepted the food laid before her because she was hungry. Foolish. Now they were trapped in this dark wooden prison with sacks and dirt for companions with only a dim lamp to serve as light.

Narumi had been blinking in and out of sleep, the effects of the drugs those wretched locals had placed in their food (and most likely his tea) still taking a toll on him. When he saw Raidou awake, though, pinching the bridge of her nose in obvious irritation, his eyes snapped open.

"Hey, mornin'," he said. Raidou inclined her head and stood with an almost unnoticeable wobble. "They got us good…probably mixed some sleeping pills into the food. They knocked us out, then tossed us in the slammer…" He threw his gaze over to the brighter part of the prison where the dim lamp was positioned. Tae was sleeping on the sacks with Gouto beside her. "Tae must have been kidnapped somewhere too and tossed in along with us."

"We did enter the village with her."

"Who would do this to us? And why?" asked Narumi, though Raidou thought the answer was clear enough.

"Please…no more questions." That elderly voice. The Protector of the Capital wasn't surprised. The chief of Tsukigata Village held a lamp that illuminated his tired features. Above the little light they had, Raidou could see every wrinkle on his face. She wondered if he did this to everyone who visited their seemingly quaint village.

"Chief," said Narumi, somewhat unsure of how to act. It ticked him off that he'd fallen for the oldest trick in the book, but he didn't want to sass the old man too much. He liked his head on his shoulders, still. "I knew you didn't think much of us ever since we met at the Tsukigata Mansion, but I didn't peg you as the type to go this far. Is this some kind of practical joke?" The chief narrowed his eyes at Narumi, who continued. "Is it really  _that_  big a deal, us looking into this Dahn guy?"

The chief waited a while before he spoke, just to make sure Narumi wouldn't interrupt. "The villagers here hate dogs. We don't like the way you sniff and root around. Consider this your last warning. When I come back, I want your assurance that you'll forget about the Tsukigata. It would be in your best interests to do so."

Without waiting for a reply, the chief exited the way he came, not that they could see where the door was in the darkness.

"We only just got here and we're already in a pretty fix. But I guess we should count ourselves lucky the chief took pity on us," Narumi remarked.

Raidou frowned. It must have been the pride of the Kuzunoha clan, but she didn't like being pitied. She had heard all about how the reeds must bow to the strong winds, how the stubborn tree broke because it forced its own way, but this didn't have to be that sort of situation. And she was a Devil Summoner. All Nue needed to do was ram these wooden bars and they would be free. Granted, that would send most of the building crashing down, but it was better than waiting under this old man's mercy.

It was a good thing Narumi had a different plan, however, because she was about to summon Nue and destroy the place all the same. Ever since that bright light had taken that thing – whatever it was – away from her, she felt more reckless, more like she had to get her own way. Or it could have been all the head trauma that accumulated from walking into doors and slipping on everything.

"Also lucky that this lock pick's a simple padlock. Should be easy enough for me to bust open," said Narumi, pulling something shiny out of his hair. It was a piece of wire. Highly unhygienic, but very effective. Raidou appreciated the presence of her boss even more as he unlocked the door with relative ease. "Hah. Knew I still had it in me. In a way, it's lucky we got tossed in here alongside Tae, too…"

"How was that lucky, boss?" asked Raidou, but Tae's sudden groans interrupted their conversation.

"N-No…" she cried out. "Too many…bugs…"

Raidou shook her head compassionately. She understood such a nightmare.

Narumi collected Tae, who instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck, while Raidou shook Gouto awake and explained the circumstances. The very first Raidou Kuzunoha was extremely disappointed in himself and dismissed his protégée's apologies, finding too much fault in himself and his trivial sulking about his notebook to blame her.

"If you're done," Narumi called from the prison door, "there's no need to leave ourselves sitting ducks for the chief to get back. Let's ditch this place."

"Escaping is a very good idea, boss, but wouldn't they try to capture us in the village again when we go to collect our belongings?"

Narumi shrugged. "I don't imagine that chief'll be too thrilled, but we did come all the way from the Capital. There's no way we're going to up and abandon Ms. Akane's assignment to find Dahn now. And couldn't your demon friends just snatch them up for us?"

"Good idea, boss." Raidou picked up the dim lamp and led the way to the door. It was locked, too, so there was a bit of switching to be done with Raidou carrying Tae instead and Narumi picking locks and thinking of teaching Kotone what he learned in the military and switching back, but they escaped eventually.

The only problem was, as soon as they stepped out of the prison, those already conscious lost their consciousness again.

Kotone resisted the temptation to remove her shoe and throw it at the butterfly wing of a wall before her when she woke again. "The Fukorutsubo," she said with the slightest groan. Forcing herself to stand, she glanced around and saw the others scattered about. She hoped to Yatagarasu that there wasn't going to be another bug waiting at the end of this tunnel.

"Yew fell for it…just like the chief said," said an unfamiliar voice behind her. Standing against the wall that her shoe should have broken was a grey-masked Fukoshi. And not just his mask; his entire ensemble was grey, almost white, a bright contrast against the black of those assassins in Mannen-Cho. "There's no escape once yew've been marked by the Fukoshi of Tsukigata Village!"

As in the Fukorutsubo she had reached through Mannen-Cho, this Fukorutsubo also had two Fukoshi assassins, only in grey. Raidou couldn't really tell the difference between their accents, however. They were all the same to her: opponents she needed to defeat to return to her real mission. She had to take care not to have that  _thing_  come out of her again. Her recklessness was beginning to cause her pain.

The second grey-masked Fukoshi who hadn't spoken drew his sword. Raidou Kuzunoha never backed down from a challenge, so the summoner unsheathed hers as well. And then the Fukoshi spoke, "Yer that devil summerner from the Capital, right…? We've heard a lot about yew. Yew met some Fukoshi in the Capital too, didn't yew? They were masks like ours, remember? Though they were a different color…"

"I noticed."

The Fukoshi nodded. "Yew came here because of what those Fukoshi were up to in the Capital, right?"

"That wasn't the primary reason, but—"

"Meaning…yer here to punish us?"

"No," said Raidou, though she wouldn't mind them getting out of the way so she could wake her friends and escape. "We're here on a missing persons case."

"Interesting…" said the first grey-masked Fukoshi, "Seems the infamous devil summerner is more understanding than we figured. What happened in the Capital really wasn't our idea, y'know… Lord Dahn, our young leader, was acting on his own against the Chief's wishes. He attracted a group of the younger Fukoshi to his cause and took the luck locusts to the Capital." The Fukoshi seemed to consider this a cause for panic. "Those luck locusts are forbidden…to bring 'em into the Capital…!"

"Luck locusts…?"

Raidou turned around. "Gouto, you're awake."

"So am I," said Narumi, raising his hand and rubbing his head. Putting his hat back on, he sighed. "Fukorutsubo again, huh? And it looks like Tae's still out like a light…"

"Come on, boss, Gouto," said Raidou, hoping that perhaps their short conversation had changed the minds of the assassins before them. "We're going to leave soon. With Miss Asakura."

"Actually…no," said the grey-masked Fukoshi, and at once Raidou began to think of how she would shoot him and behead his partner at the same time. "Unfortunately, yer gonna have to disappear now. Yew might have beaten Lord Dahn's neophyte's in the Capital, but we're not gonna be that easy. Yer about to see the 8th Fukoshi clan in all its glory, devil summerner… Ah'm not as lenient as our young leader or his followers. We'll send yew on a swim in the River Styx with yer kitty-cat and friends!"

"Whoa," said Narumi, having just picked Tae up again, "I thought we were having a nice little conversation here…?"

"Kotone," Gouto ran to his descendant, clawing at her pant leg in a panic. "These guys are serious! They aim to kill you!"

"I understand," said Raidou, bending into her battle stance. "This should be quick."

"Smug little girl," one of the Fukoshi snorted. "This is what yew get fer sniffin' around the Tsukigata! The penalty is death!"

A sweet scent filled the air. Kotone breathed in and tried not to let a dazed smile reach her lips. It was familiar, yet a fragrance unlike anything she had ever inhaled…

"Kotone!" Gouto shouted, seemingly far away. "You should know this scent. It's…It's one of the first poisons the Kuzunoha clan trains you against!"

"Ah," Raidou mumbled, forcing herself to keep her ready stance. The smell made her want to lie down and rest forever. "They must have improved on it…the effects are so much stronger…"

Gouto stumbled backwards and fell on his kitty rump. "Y…you're right…"

The Fukoshi laughed. He was alone now; or had there only ever been one of him? "Yew smell that sweet smell? Ah scattered some numbin' poison in the Tento Woods. Once yew smell that, yer goose is cooked. Yew won't be able to control yer body none. Just give up and let us kill yew, Devil Summerner."

It was tempting to nod off and just rest, but from the corner of her eye Raidou could see Narumi doing his best to stay on his feet and keep Tae from falling from his arms. The scent proved too strong, however, and Narumi fell to his knees and set a still unconscious Tae down before attempting to fight against the effects of the poison himself.

"No," said Raidou Kuzunoha the 14th, hardening her grip on her blade. "The Capital needs my protection."

The Fukoshi shook his head in disappointment. "It's yer funeral. Well now…I'll leave yew a boat to get across the Sanzu River with." He put his gloved fingers to his lips and let out a familiar ear-piercing whistle. "Come, Jiromaru!"

Again, there was a loud screeching as one of the pores falling from the webbed sky expanded and grew brighter as each second passed, until right before Raidou there was a grasshopper twice or thrice the size of their prison and it was roaring right in her face.

Kotone gingerly wiped off the saliva that had splattered on her face with her sleeve, resisting the childish urge to  _cry_. Her hatred for bugs was something no Japanese word could encapsulate. Especially for bugs named Jiromaru.

"Not again…" she muttered, her head still spinning. With a swing of its steel arm, Jiromaru sent Raidou flying across the Fukorutsubo and into one of the butterfly wings. She needed something to wake her up. The poison was so powerful…

Tae had just the thing.

"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"

Raidou jolted upright, suddenly forgetting about her aching back. "Miss Asakura?" To her left, Tae had finally awoken. Unfortunately, at the hideous sight of Jiromaru, all she could do was shriek, and then she fainted again. Understandable.

Gathering all that was left in her, the summoner stood and reached for a tube. "Pyro Jack!"

"Hee-ho!" said the little demon, swinging its lantern about. "This hee-bug again, Ko-ho-ne? I ho-thought you hated bugs, hee!"

"I do," Raidou replied, struggling to speak without a slur, "but you…don't, do you, Pyro Jack? …I don't believe this is the same Jiromaru who…who cried and ran away from us, but it may have the same…weakness. Set it on fire for me…would you, please?"

"My plee-heasure, Ko-ho-ne!" Pyro Jack grinned. He flew around Jiromaru, irritating the bug to the point that it tried to swat him away like a fly (ironic, Narumi thought with the energy he had left as he crawled over to Tae), but before it could reach him, the demon inhaled deeply, put his lantern to his face, and blew as hard as he could.

Jiromaru screeched and covered its head with its steel arms, giving Raidou the chance to attack, but as soon as she raised her sword against the bug, the sweet scent in the air intensified and she froze.

"Ko-ho-ne?" Pyro Jack whizzed around her curiously. "What's hee-happening, Ko-ho-ne?"

"I…I can't move," said Raidou, straining to even speak. "Jack, return…return to your tube."

"But Ko-ho-ne—"

"Be obedient now…Jack," she ordered, and with a reluctant squeak, Pyro Jack returned to his tube.

"Raidou!" Narumi called out, frozen in his spot as well, "What is this…?"

"I don't…"

Raidou could only widen her eyes as Jiromaru uncovered its head and flew into the air. She forced her body to move, at least to the side where the impact would be lessened, but she was truly frozen to her spot. Jiromaru swept down and kicked her with one of its hind arms, crushing her beneath its slimy body. She could barely breathe, and Jiromaru bobbed its antennae together at her, its face opening and its pincers snapping like jaws…

Gouto and Narumi shook their heads in horror, and that was as far as they were able to move.

"Raidou!"

"Kotone!"

* * *

Light. Like a sudden camera flash. Flash, flash flash… Like a thousand camera flashes.

Kotone felt the hard ground under her cap, back, and knees. This felt familiar. Only now she could feel her cape under her hand. Her throat was still dry, however.

The flashes subsided, leaving the sound of noisy crickets in their wake. Somehow she knew that that would subside, too, though a high-pitched  _yee_  would stay stuck in her skull. This time she couldn't ignore it and stayed on the ground.

She didn't need to look up from her position on the ground to know she was in that world with the soundless, blazing storm again with the swirls on the ground and the spheres with the eyes in the sky, but she did anyway. She'd had this feeling it was that place even before she opened her eyes. It reminded her of when she had handled her first sword, and the hilt seemed foreign, at first…but the next time she held it in her eight-year old hands, it seemed to just fit. Not perfectly, and the angles of her hand and fingers were still wrong in some ways, but it fit.

Kotone had a strange feeling this was going to become a routine.

When she accepted this, the noise in her skull softened. Kotone stood and saw the air beneath her feet ripple like waves, leading to something further out, further…behind her. There was that presence again, and again her sword sheath and holster were empty.

It wasn't her anymore. The presence, that was. It was a man with long, white hair, a black overcoat, white trousers, and black boots. The presence appeared to be different, but when she sensed it, it was still the same…thing. Whatever it or she or he was. And it still wore the mask. That mask – it registered in the back of her mind, because at the moment all this place would allow her to think of was the figure before her – it was that watermelon mask the people of a certain village treasured greatly.  _Tsukigata Village_ , her mind suddenly recalled. The events prior to her arrival here returned to her in that moment, but she knew there was nothing she could do to leave this place.

The world pulsated like the last beats of a dying heart when the man began to speak. He was old, judging by his voice, but still strong. "You who play the role of  _Raidou_  and witness this spectacle…" he started, "Worry not. This is the first time you have met me in this form, but in the process, I have met you twice. You will witness the mask I wear worshiped as an incarnation of myself…and soon after, you will have the good fortune to meet with a trustworthy compatriot."

Kotone could only nod as the old man paused. His shoulders slumped, but so little that she had barely seen it. "It seems that in theory," he continued, "the day of misfortune cannot be avoided. If you have witnessed this spectacle, the theory is bound to be proven. However, someday you will go through the process of being a living witness along with the others. There will come a day when this world is overcome by misfortune. You will bear witness to this."

Kotone frowned. The presence was at it again, and speaking of misfortune…

"It is an ironic theory," said the man, "but casting people down into the abyss…even the day of misfortune itself…is an action born of hope. I ask that you not despair at the difficult contradiction espoused in this theory. Think of this mask's 'sorrowful' face as the combined feelings of the people. Your determination to be  _Raidou_  is already a beacon of hope. Your actions are hope… Kotone."

The storm blazed on. A flash of white, and then black again.

* * *

Kotone felt dizzy to the point of desiring to vomit, but she held back. On one hand, her throat was no longer dry. On the other, her face was moist and there was a great rumbling noise in the background that disturbed her greatly.

"OH! SUMMONER AWAKE NOW!"

Kotone groaned and realized that the reason why her face was so moist and why there was a rumbling sound was because Nue was licking it repeatedly, and because the poor beast was crying. It touched her, though it did seem somewhat ridiculous. Did monkeys even lick their own kind? The demon really was starting to become her own pet dog. But never mind that; how had he gotten out of his tube?

"Nue…" she managed to speak, and pushed the chimera off her. "How did you get out of your tube?"

"OUR FRIENDS HELP. I SAY I CHECK KOTONE'S CONDITION FOR US. SHEER FORCE OF WILL!"

Ah, sheer force of will. Lilim had done that before, but she never expected Nue to be able to come up with it himself. "All right," she said, wiping her face with her cape, "thank you, Nue."

The events in the world with the blazing storm and the Fukorutsubo muddled her thoughts and threw off her equilibrium, but with Nue's help she was able to stand. Before her was Narumi, now carrying Tae, and Gouto at his feet. They were back at the entrance of the Tento Woods, beside that supply cabin which she now realized was their prison not too long ago.

Narumi and Gouto were watching something before them. She moved to the right to see and caught sight of the two grey-masked Fukoshi she had seen earlier (so there  _were_ two of them) dismissing that evil bug Jiromaru, who seemed to sneer at her and snap its pincers again when it saw her awake. Her companions noticed this and whirled.

"Where have you been?" Narumi asked, giving her a quick glance to check for wounds.

"You disappeared right before Jiromaru could crush you completely," said Gouto. "You woke her, Nue?"

"I WAKE HER, KITTY, YES!"

"I…I was where I was before." Upon receiving even more confused looks from her two mentors, Kotone gave a slight wave. "I will explain another time. What happened?"

"That old man over there," said Narumi, pointing ahead, "he—"

"Yer one lucky skunk, little miss Devil Summerner," said one of the grey-masked Fukoshi, approaching her. After tilting his head curiously at Nue, he waved his arm. Kotone's vision blurred again, and then the Fukoshi disappeared before Nue could snarl at them.

"I'm still confused," said Kotone, the pain from being crushed under a gigantic bug catching up with her body, until she heard the  _chrl-thopp_  of boots against the ground and looked up to see long white hair, a black overcoat, white trousers, and black boots. She recognized him as the man from that world with the blazing storm, but without the mask. He was truly old. Now, what had that presence said about meeting a compatriot…?

Kotone wasn't given the chance to remember, because the old man began to speak, appraising her from behind his words. "I heard there'd been a commotion at the Tento Woods this morning, so I came to see. They told me you'd be coming: a black-caped student, come to stand against the Fukoshi. You are…the renowned Raidou Kuzunoha?"

"I am, indeed," answered the Great Summoner, giving a sort of uneven bow. Her stomach hurt especially. Truly a devoted pet, Nue noticed her flinch ever so slightly and nuzzled his soft head against where it hurt.

"…The Fukorutsubo spell is broken," said the old man, eyeing Nue. Raidou could tell he was a real man and not the presence in that odd world. "You needn't worry anymore."

Kotone nodded, but she still felt better with Nue around and kept her hand on his head.

"Raidou," said Narumi, mistaking her hand on Nue's invisible head as her preparing to reach for her revolver, "this man saved me and Tae. He even talked to the Fukoshi for us…he's not the enemy."

"I know, boss," said Raidou, looking back at the man and sensing his power. Was he a Devil Summoner? He could see Nue, but then so could the Fukoshi. "Thank you, sir."

When the old man inclined his head in acknowledgement, the blue-eyed girl appeared, still twirling a strand of her chest-length, ebony hair.

"Hey," Narumi said upon seeing her, "you're the girl we saw earlier."

"This was within the bounds of my conjecture," said the girl, "Although…well, I apologize for sounding rude, but you seem rather less impressive than the rumors preceding you. Are you really the Capital's summoner?"

"RAIDOU GREAT SUMMONER. RAIDOU GREATEST SUMMONER. YOU DOUBT RAIDOU? FOOLISH GIRL!" Nue roared, snapping his teeth at her. His eyes narrowed to angry slits and his snake tail hissed angrily.

"Now, now, Nue," said Raidou, rubbing his head and giving him a little  _shush_. "It isn't wrong to express one's opinion." An opinion, clearly, that was misguided to the point of being wrong. And it seemed that everyone in this village was rude, though the white-haired old man seemed to be an exception. Raidou met the girl's eyes again. "However, I suggest you attempt fighting a Jiromaru after inhaling ounces of numbing poison before forming your next opinion."

Having taken a tiny step backward at Nue's enraged outcry, the girl regained her composure and her icy eyes returned to their normal size. "Very well."

Narumi glanced between the girl, Raidou, and the space she was patting with her hand. Nue, she had said. That was the beast, right? He wondered what it had said; the blue-eyed girl had seemed surprised, while the old man was fairly amused, judging by the smirk on his lips. The detective cleared his throat. "I see you've already heard of Raidou here…but how?"

The old man adjusted his collar. Narumi did think it was a bit too tight. "My name is Geirin Kuzunoha," he said. "I am one of the Four Great Summoners."

"One of the four…" Narumi nodded. "You're a Devil Summoner too?"

"I am, yes. Geirin Kuzunoha the 17th, to be precise."

"Geirin Kuzunoha the 17th…" Gouto repeated. "The highly skilled Summoner who underwent advanced training in America – I've heard of you. So you're that Geirin."

"I am Nagi," said the blue-eyed girl. "I would be honored if you would remember my name alongside my Master's."

"Now then," Geirin spoke immediately after his pupil finished. "I know you may still be somewhat drowsy, but I have some questions for Raidou. Foremost among them being, why is the Capital's protector out here in Tsukigata Village? I would like to know what process brought you here…"

Raidou wondered what stance she should take with Geirin. Age demanded respect, obviously, but they were equals as two of the Four Great Summoners. He could demand nothing of her, and neither could she of him. "As I explained to those Fukoshi earlier, we are on a missing persons case. A lady by the name of Akane Narita hired us to find Dahn, whom we have come to believe, through our investigations, is the son of the chief of the Tsukigata Village. Although," she turned to Narumi, "I'm beginning to understand why the servants may be inclined to deny Dahn's existence, boss. The grey-masked Fukoshi mentioned that 'Lord' Dahn went against the Chief's wishes."

"Ah," Narumi said, shifting Tae's weight to his other arm, "Dishonor and all that. I get it."

Geirin cleared his throat, reminding the Narumi Detective Agency of his presence. "You were hired by this Akane, and the process of your investigation has led you to Tsukigata Mansion. What a strange theory…it connects the Capital to Tsukigata Village." The white-haired summoner nodded. "I see…Nagi."

"Your request is already within the bounds of my conjecture," said Nagi, who approached Narumi. "I will tend to the fainted woman."

Narumi held on to 'the fainted woman' protectively. "Her name is Tae."

"An excellent conjecture, Nagi," said Geirin. "The Fukuroku Inn should suffice."

Nagi reached out for Tae. Narumi took a step back. "Uh…no..."

Gouto rolled his eyes. "Tell him to give the dame up. I think we can trust a Great Summoner like us."

Raidou tilted her head in Narumi's direction, though she kept her eyes on Gouto. "Boss, Nagi will take care of Miss Asakura. Like you said, these people aren't the enemy. To assure you of her safety… Nue will accompany them, won't you, Nue?"

"OKAY."

"Here." Narumi willingly passed Tae on to Raidou, but nearly jumped when the devil summoner passed his friend into an empty space. It was an empty space that turned out to be a demon's arms, however, and though the sight of Tae floating around in the air unnerved Narumi, it was better than having a complete stranger carry her.

"Be polite, Nue," Raidou commanded. "And make sure no harm comes to Miss Asakura."

"NUE KNOWS MANNERS. NO HARM WILL COME TO SLEEPING LADY."

There was some offense to be taken from a man preferring his woman in the care of a demon he couldn't even see to hers, but Nagi didn't take it as much as she could have. Neither of them knew it, but like the teenager before her, she was accustomed to ostracism and cared not for the strange stares and mistrust of others. Before leaving with Nue and the fainted woman, Tae, she said to Raidou Kuzunoha the 14th, "My master Geirin is here, so you can safely return to the Capital. In theory, it isn't proper to have two Great Summoners in one region."

Gouto noticed Geirin's already pallid features flush just a little more. "Nagi," he said, more sternly than before, "there is a time to speak and a time to act. Which are you, theoretically, supposed to be doing right now?"

Nagi's shoulders slumped immediately. "M-My apologies," she said, bowing to her Master. "Uhm…please forgive me. I will take the lady and the demon to Fukuroku Inn at once."

Nue's red eyes stretched into lines. He stifled his snicker, remembering his summoner's order to be polite, but his snake tail couldn't help but hiss in amusement as he followed the pale girl out of the Woods.

Geirin turned to the three left in his company. "You will forgive my pupil. I have not curbed her habit of speaking out of turn."

"Oh, we understand. Teenage girls and all that," said Narumi, thinking back on the times that Kotone talked back to him. He didn't actually mind it all that much; at least he knew she was using her brain. Gouto's comments, on the other hand… He would have asked if his statement made him sound old, but this Geirin didn't seem like the type of person who laughed. Or even smiled.

"Yes," said Geirin humorlessly, true to Narumi's suspicions. "Now, please come with me. I will arrange a meeting with the head of the Tsukigata family."

* * *

Raidou hadn't changed her mind about the Tsukigata Mansion. It really should have been called a palace. Now that they were allowed entry inside, she could see that everything was as Dominion had described, though she'd only caught a glimpse of the little gardens and ponds on their way to the Chief's office. The room was small compared to the rest of the estate, but even then the rare scent of ripe nashi pears spread around the place gave it a grand feel.

"…So that is the process, Akijiro," said Geirin, who had brought them to the chief to explain their peaceful intentions. "I believe that my fellow Devil Summoner's wishes, in theory, should be met."

Akijiro Tsukigata, the chief, ran another hand over his bald head. "This…is all rather serious to deal with in the morning. You came at an unlucky time…"

Narumi thought waking up after being drugged and imprisoned wasn't something he liked to deal with in the morning, but he'd had to anyway. And he kept that thought to himself.

Akijiro continued. "Under normal circumstances, as elder of Tsukigata Village and chief of the 8th Fukoshi clan, I would never acknowledge the disgrace of a fellow Fukoshi, even should the world turn upside down. But with Geirin here, head bowed…how can I refuse such a request?"

To Narumi and Raidou, he said, "You're lucky to know our Geirin, guests from the Capital, and that's the truth. Now then. Narumi, was it? I can guess at what brought you here." He took out the photo that Narumi had presented at the start of Geirin's explanation. "The girl who hired you to find this man. Her name was Akane, yes?"

Narumi crossed his arms. "Huh. Pretty sure none of us told you that, Chief. How'd you know?"

By the sad expression on his face and the way his wrinkles creased deeper, Gouto knew Akijiro had just withheld a sigh. "When I heard a detective from the Capital had come here, I knew it could mean nothing good, but…That Akane…doing this without my permission…"

"So, sir, you do know Miss Akane Narita," said Raidou, leaning against the table in a more than unladylike manner. Narumi wondered if Geirin expected him to scold his assistant for speaking out of turn in an adults' conversation, but Raidou was free to express her thoughts so long as they helped the investigation, in his opinion. And Geirin had seemed to consider her words as opposed to Nagi's for her position as a Great Summoner.

Akijiro didn't seem to mind her speaking, either. " _Narita_ …? Don't buy into that nonsense," the chief scoffed. "She's my daughter, make no mistake. The pure blood of a Tsukigata runs through her veins… Do I know Akane Tsukigata? As well as I'd know any woman who grew up in my household."

Narumi repeated that in his head. "Akane…Tsukigata?"

"That explains the chaotic curls," said Raidou, and explained further upon receiving curious glances. "Dahn and Miss Akane…they have the same hair. I had wondered if it was coincidence."

"Yes…Dahn." Akijiro finally released his sigh. "Just like Akane, he hails from this household. My good-for-nothing son… They are siblings, yes. Blood relations. The Dahn you're looking for…he's Akane's older brother."

"Well, now, that's a shocker." Narumi met eyes with Gouto and Raidou, checking if they were as surprised as he was. In retrospect, it should have been obvious – young mistress and young master? How could that have gotten by him? "Dahn and Akane, both Tsukigatas, and brother and sister to boot… This looks like the tip of one big iceberg. You still with us, Raidou?"

"Of course, boss."

Having been prowling around during Geirin's explanation, Gouto jumped into Raidou's arms. "What this all boils down to is that Akane hired us to find her brother. But to think a dame as calm and gentle as she seemed… How could she be a daughter of the Tsukigata clan? How could she have an assassin's blood…?"

Narumi and Akijiro exchanged clueless glances, though the chief didn't seem as interested to hear what the cat had to say. The former asked, "Care to share, Raidou?"

"Gouto was expressing his shock about how delicate Miss Akane could have hailed from a clan of assassins."

"Hmm." Geirin nodded in agreement. "In theory, it would seem…outrageous."

"Right," said Narumi. "If you wouldn't mind, Akijiro…why would Akane give us a phony name?"

Akijiro hesitated. "There is…a reason why Akane had to remain outside of Tsukigata Village and hide her identity for now. It's the same reason I can't keep Akane where I can see her. She's staying with a relative right now – a Mr. Narita, in the Capital. You see, if Dahn finds Akane, he'll probably try to shelter her…"

"Shelter her?" Narumi quirked a brow. "From what?"

The chief looked like he would rather fasten his lips together than speak any further, but he answered anyway. "What Dahn wants to do is to stop Akane's Marriage Ritual."

"Miss Akane is getting married?" asked Raidou.

"Well, that's good, right?" Narumi added, "I don't quite get what all this 'sheltering' malarkey is about. Is there some sort of problem with the arrangements? For instance, maybe Dahn's not too keen on his sister's fiancé?"

Raidou would have offered to fasten the chief's lips together out of pity. The very thought of this entire ordeal seemed to destroy his spirits. She didn't, however, when she remembered his orders to kill  _her_  just that morning, even if it was for the safety of his clan.

"Pardon me," said a tiny voice by the door, behind Geirin. It was Nagi. Raidou never realized how small her voice was until Geirin had scolded her. Before that, she appeared so knowledgeable that her voice seemed trivial. When her Master acknowledged her, she continued, "The process of escorting the woman to the Fukuroku Inn is complete. I've returned, Master. But enough of that…I heard a theory that caught my attention, so I wished to join the conversation." She brushed her hair thoughtfully. "A question for you, Lord Akijiro… On my way here, I undertook the process of asking the villagers about the luck locusts. My understanding is that…Dahn stole them?"

Akijiro had been ignoring Nagi's presence until that very moment.

Encouraged by the chief's attention, she added, "I hesitate to bring my own feelings into the process of a brother unhappy with his sister's engagement, but… it seems to me that taking the luck locusts is, in theory, overdoing it a bit. Is my conjecture correct? Please answer me, Lord Akijiro…"

Akijiro was at a loss. "That's…!"

Without looking at his pupil, Geirin frowned. "That theory was uncalled for, Nagi. I would prefer that you wait outside."

Finally, some color painted Nagi's face. It was a rather charming shade of pink, and Raidou could almost feel the frustration she refrained from expressing. Kotone had gone through that stage as a little girl, when she thought she was good enough to become the next Raidou Kuzunoha just because she had become friends with Lilim and was frustrated because her father would not give her the title even in his older age. That had all ended when her father…when she began training to earn the title, of course.

"Master," said Nagi, clenching her fists, "You shut me out, but you let Raidou stay?"

Geirin's white eyebrows furrowed. "Nagi," he repeated with a tone meant to reprimand, "Wait outside. I will not tell you again."

Nagi felt the heat of her irritation slip away as the chill of embarrassment caused her a slight shiver. "I'm sorry," she said, avoiding the eyes of the others in the room, and hastily exited.

Geirin shook his head. "I'd prefer if you could overlook my pupil's insolence. My apologies. Do resume the process."

There was an awkward pause that Raidou decided to break. "If what Nagi said is true…there must be a reason why Dahn would go to such lengths – though I don't understand them myself – to prevent his sister's wedding. Is there?"

"My piece on this is… so I understand there's a problem at the Tsukigata household about Akane's engagement. What Nagi said aside," said Narumi, "isn't that something to be settled between your family and the groom's? No need to shelter Akane at the Capital. She and Dahn are family; they can work it out."

Akijiro shook his head. "The Marriage Ritual shouldn't be taken lightly. Failing to complete it is unthinkable. Akane's marriage is not a simple wedding. It is a sacred ritual; a blood pact with our god."

Raidou found a grimace creeping into her usually unaffected countenance. A god…she imagined Sukuna-Hikona, that little monster shrieking out of General Munakata's mouth, getting married to delicate, beautiful Akane. If Akane were her sister, she would probably do all she could to stop such a disgusting thing, too. Kotone shook her head. Sympathizing with the supposed enemy was never a good idea. There must have been a reason, too, as to why Akane was agreeing to avoid Dahn and go through with the ritual.

"A blood pact with a god…?" Narumi repeated, imagining something like what was in Kotone's mind. "And Dahn's trying to get in the way of that, you say?"

Gouto purred slightly, catching his protégée's attention. "If Dahn's a Tsukigata, he oughtta know how important this Marriage Ritual apparently is to the clan. So what's the big idea with trying to stop it? Maybe this Marriage Ritual is the key we need to find Dahn…"

"What?" Narumi asked.

"Nothing, boss," answered Raidou, earning her a little scratch from Gouto.

"By the way," said Akijiro, "Narumi mentioned that you've had a stroke of bad luck. Raidou, when you fought the Fukoshi, did you feel as if something was taken from you?"

"Not necessarily that something was taken, sir," the devil summoner replied, "I remember a bright light coming to me, and when it left, I felt…naked and empty. But only for a moment. Soon after, I started walking into doors and tripping over flat surfaces…"

Narumi stifled a chuckle. That earned him a scratch from Gouto, too.

Akijiro nodded and held up the red cage many of the Fukoshi carried. "That 'light' entered this box, didn't it? This insect cage with the Tento Crest is what we Fukoshi use to store the luck locusts. The sensation you've described…is what happens to the victims of our luck locusts, who have eaten your fortune."

"What  _are_  these luck locusts you keep mentioning, exactly?" asked Narumi.

"The luck locusts are a forbidden tool of the 8th Fukoshi Clan: insects that eat a person's luck. If you haven't noticed yet, once your luck is eaten, you have nothing to look forward to but bad luck. Those whose fortunes are eaten by the luck locusts either die by some unfortunate accident…or their despair over their increasing misfortune eventually drives them to suicide."

Raidou frowned.

"Our use of the luck locusts guaranteed a certain kill, but due to an accident long ago, we vowed never to take them out again," said Akijiro, before pinching his nose bridge in frustration. "And then my rotten excuse for a son…he…!"

Narumi snapped his fingers. "It's starting to come together. Dahn took those luck locusts out of Tsukigata village. That's where those scraps of the cage you found in Mannen-Cho came from, Raidou. They held the locusts…which means...the 8th Fukoshi clan's forbidden insects are now loose in the Capital."

"Not only has Dahn broken the covenant, he intends to stop the Marriage Ritual…" Akijiro added. "He's no better than a common traitor now. As a Tsukigata, it is my duty to bring him in. Which is why I'll swallow my pride and ask you, a Devil Summoner…but first, I apologize for the way we wronged you in front of the mansion and at the prison cell. And now I ask that if you find Dahn, I want you to bring him here. Will you agree to this?"

Raidou's eyes narrowed. "I accept your apology, sir, but…" Kotone had her own issues to discuss with Dahn. Her fortune, for instance. He was going to return it to her. And it was under his orders that his men had caused her all this bad luck; her clan didn't believe in revenge, but she believed a little retribution was in store for him.

Narumi leaned in closer to Raidou before she could finish and shook his head. "You know I feel the same way, but let's prove to these fellows that we can be reasonable guys, 'kay? I'll make it up to you later. Come on."

Raidou refrained from sighing and gave a cordial upturn of the lips. "Very well, sir. If he has intentionally harmed those I'm oathsworn to protect, after all, he is under my jurisdiction. And who better to punish him than his own father?"

That set an uncomfortable expression on Akijiro's face, which was what Raidou had been aiming for, but the old man seemed grateful anyway. "Thank you. Please take this," he said, sliding an insect cage and a jar across the table. "Think of it as us pledging our allegiance. You can capture luck locusts to counter the effects of your misfortune using the birdlime in the jar. The locusts you capture will share their good fortune with you."

"Their stolen fortune," Kotone muttered.

"What was that?"

"Nothing, sir," said Raidou, looking back up with feigned indebtedness. "And thank you. Luck locusts…they're a smaller version of a golden Jiromaru, aren't they? With masks that break in half sideways?"

Akijiro nodded. "How did you…?"

"That was what Gouto saw on your shoulder that day you spilled butter on your slacks, boss," Raidou said to Narumi. "He scared the luck locust away before it could bite you."

"I owe Gouto my thanks, then," said Narumi, giving Gouto a crooked grin. The butter still hadn't completely disappeared from those slacks, though…

"He could thank me himself, you know," said Gouto, smirking, but jumped on the table and inspected the insect cage. "So, Kotone…adopting the methods of the 8th Fukoshi clan, eh? Heheh…this should even the odds."

"Anyway," Narumi continued, turning to Akijiro, "we've been here a dog's age…so I think it's time we get going. You've been a real help. Now we know Dahn's target is Akane back at the Capital. And that he's the one who brought those bad-news locusts there. Raidou and I are gonna get back home to check up on things."

Akijiro nodded before glaring at the table. "Dahn was our best Fukoshi…and he's armed himself with those damned luck locusts. Be careful, Raidou. Just in case."

Raidou stood and bowed. "Thank you for your warning, Chief Akijiro."

Narumi rose, too, and bowed to Geirin. "Thanks for all your help too, Geirin. Give your pupil our regards, won't you?"

"Of course, Mr. Narumi," said Geirin, respecting that Gouto and this man were the mentors to the young girl before him, a Great Summoner though she was. To her, he said, "Raidou…I am, in theory, the protector of Tsukigata Village. You may devote yourself to the process of watching over the Capital with no worries."

"Thank you, Geirin. With your presence here, I can rest easy."

"All right, that's our cue to head out, Raidou. Let's pack our bags and head home," said Narumi, and with final goodbyes for the time being, the Narumi Detective Agency made their exit. As soon as they were out of hearing range, Narumi gave his apprentice a sly grin. "You're quite the smooth talker when you wanna be, huh, Raidou?"


	6. Shall We Talk With Our Fists?

"In the name of the Yatagarasu, we entrust the fate of the Capital to you. Much is expected of you, Raidou Kuzunoha the 14th."

Slowly, she disappeared, from the bottom of her cloak, to her chest, then her shoulders, to her pale lips, small nose, and to the hood that covered her eyes, as the Herald of the Yatagarasu was wont to do. Once Tae had awoken, Narumi and Gouto sent her back to the Capital and came to Shinoda's Nameless Shrine to report on their recent findings. The Herald informed them that Dahn's actions, though carried out with his sister in mind, could only bring destruction unto the Capital. The misfortune brought about by the release of the luck locusts, too, had already known repercussions, such as the appearance of Fiends in the area – which explained Binbou-gami, but the Herald warned that there would be more to come. The only uplifting news that Raidou received for the whole visit was that the Herald could purify her of her terrible luck – and she did, so the Great Summoner might finally stop walking into everything.

Kotone took a step back and stared at the bell that summoned the placid woman, and then at the tiny magnolia lanterns that lit the eerie shrine. Just where did she disappear to all the time? She was aware that the woman was simply a manifestation of the herald's spirit (at least, that was how she had come to understand the state of things, because everyone was much too cryptic), but it was still a mystery.

A squeeze on her shoulder snapped her back to reality.

It was Narumi. "No pressure, Raidou," he said with a slight chuckle. "It's a big task, but you always come through, right?"

"Of course, boss," she said with the confidence he wanted her to hear. It was confidence she felt, too, but the thought of more fiends like Binbou-gami – and worse – occupied her mind too much for her to stay too proud. And that was a good thing, she supposed, as long as she didn't surrender to their power.

"But, wow…" Narumi pulled his hat over his eyes. "We were in a big enough pickle when Dahn and the Fukoshi were all we had to worry about…now, Fiends?"

"He shouldn't be worried," Gouto snorted, "if you can trick them, Kotone, you can defeat them. They'll just take more work than most demons."

"What did Gouto say?"

"He doesn't know why you're worried," said Kotone. "You are not the one who must defeat them."

Narumi crossed his arms at Gouto. "That wasn't very nice…"

"Kotone!"

"He was only joking, of course," Kotone added with a small grin. "Where to, boss?"

"Back home," replied Narumi, fixing his hat. "I think it's time we had our next Investigational Meeting. Yeah…time to sit back, relax, and discuss our next move. After one more dreadful train ride…"

"Actually, boss," said Kotone, eyeing the Dragon's Cave near the shrine, "I have a short cut."

* * *

Sparks of electricity crackled in the dark room, the sound of exploding machinery augmenting the eeriness of the maniacal laugh echoing through its walls. Above, a clueless and rather miserly shop owner wondered what ghastly things occurred in his basement as he felt the ground under his feet shake slightly, but as long as his tenant paid the right amount, he would never attempt to even venture a guess.

The air mingled flirtatiously with thick smoke and the stench of rust when the Narumi Detective Agency appeared with a blue flash of light. Its namesake sneezed as soon as he attempted to inhale, and spent a number of seconds coughing and beating away at the air. "What kind of…?"

Gouto pawed at his nose in a manner Tae would have found adorable while Kotone, pinching her nose gingerly, reached for a tube. "Aeros, if you would please…"

"Of course."

"Thank you."

With a few spins of his shimmering half-form, Aeros forced the smoke to swirl in an invisible vacuum and the room cleared. A green light flashed near Raidou's chest, and Narumi could breathe again. He hated going to Victor's laboratory. It was badly lit, messier than even his own office to the point that it felt like a mine field: something seemed likely to explode wherever he stepped. So he decided to stay rooted to his spot, clear of the experiments that littered the place.

"Ah, Kuzunoha!" called a voice on the edge of insane laughter. "I know I can always count on you! A woman's touch is always better than an Ippon-datara's!"

A  _tak-tak-tak_  made its way towards them. "WelLCoMe, MiSs RaiDoUuuuuUu!"

A white spirit with a dog's head slithered about in the air, floating to its fellow demon's side. "HELLO, SUMMONER!" said the Inugami, a smile on its canine face. "I NOW MAKE VICTOR HAPPY."

"That's very good, Inugami. Hello," said Kotone, reflecting the Ippon-datara's bow to both demons. Narumi wished he could 'see' again. There were downsides to having the ability, such as being forced to look upon the fearsome ones without turning away for fear of being rude and angering them, but it was better than staying unawares. "Where is Dr. Victor?"

"Over here, over here!" Victor's voice rang out again. He came out from behind one of the cages scattered around his laboratory, wiping the soot from his lab coat. To Narumi, he looked as batty as always: grimy coat, shiny black gloves, patches of skin sewed onto his face through some means he dared not imagine for fear of his own sanity, and disheveled, oily gray-white hair so solid that it defied the laws of motion, much like the way his experiments did the laws of nature. His lips were twisted into one of the widest grins the detective had ever seen.

"Good afternoon, Dr. Victor," said Kotone, bowing. Narumi marveled at Gouto's and her capacity not to stare slack-jawed at his odd appearance. Then again, compared to something like a Fury Nezha, Dr. Victor looked like a saint.

"Yes, yes, to what do I owe the pleasure, Kuzunoha?" The doctor's thick goggles slapped back against his forehead when he pulled them off. "Ah, welcome to the Gouma Den, Mr. Narumi! Gouto! You have found your apprentice, I see!"

"Gouto and I passed by him on the way back when you first disappeared," Narumi explained to Kotone. "Tae stayed upstairs. How did, uh, how did that experiment go, by the way, Victor?"

"Bah!" Victor made a face and bitterly waved a hand, as though willing the thought to leave him forever. "The secrets to creating a sentient machine remain in the coming future, for now! If only I could get my hands on that android again… Have you seen him lately?"

"Not since a year ago, no," replied Kotone, and she was glad of it. Rasputin kept to himself now. Even after his encouraging words, along with those of many others, had helped her in the past year, and though she had achieved sufficient retribution from breaking a bottle over his head, the memory of her own defeat at his hands still upset her. Especially because he was a lecherous and lascivious, rude man with unnatural powers. "I haven't explored the lower section of the Capital. I suspect he might be in the Red Light district, but we haven't been given any reason to travel there."

Victor rubbed his chin thoughtfully. He should have appeared as the intelligent creature he was, but Narumi couldn't help but look upon him as a too eccentric man in need of some mental help. That or the scientist wanted his slick gumshoe brains to experiment with. "If I send another case file asking for him, would you?"

"Actually, we're on a pretty big case right now," Narumi interjected. "We're just passing through, really. So, we're heading on back to the Agency now, if you don't mind, Doctor…"

Gouto snickered at the detective. "His unease is too apparent. It's a good thing the Doctor doesn't care about the opinions of others, or it might be considered rude."

Narumi raised an eyebrow at Kotone for a translation.

"He says that Dr. Victor can smell fear, you know."

"Wh-What?"

"It was a joke," said Kotone, again. "Once again, Doctor, your Tesseract Box works like a charm."

"Yes, indeed! And from the farthest of places, hmm? An even better Box should be ready for testing soon – I've been working on a way to teleport to any Dragon Cave  _from_  the lab this time!" Victor gave a jovial laugh, but even that sounded menacing to Narumi.

Really, for a seventeen year-old girl, Kotone kept company with the most peculiar of men. There was Tsukumo, that rocket scientist from a year ago, her bizarre alliance with Satake, the bartender at Shin Sekai, and he didn't even want to know what others who could guess her true gender thought of her visits to Dr. Victor. And that wasn't even counting Gouto, her ancestor's spirit inhabiting a cat's body, or himself, a detective almost twenty years her senior (though he fancied himself an interesting subject rather than peculiar). Of course, this sort of thought came always before he took into consideration her being a Great Summoner, as Geirin had so proudly put, and that though a teenager she rarely acted like one.

"SURE YOU DON'T WANT TO TRY DR. VICTOR'S SWORD-FUSING MACHINE?" asked the Inugami, swimming in the air around a blind Narumi.

"It'S GoOOoooOD! SucCeSSfUl LiKE wALLs!" the Ippon-datara agreed, clapping its hammer and tongs together. In the demon world that should have been convincing, Kotone supposed.

"That doesn't even make sense," Gouto grumbled, having found Ippon-dataras unbearable even during his lifetime.

"At a later time, maybe," said Kotone, stifling her amusement at Gouto's irritation. "My blade still works well."

"The bearer of the blade and not the blade matters, after all, yes, indeed," said Victor, his hair frozen together so that it stayed still as he bobbed his head up and down. "Still, I expect a visit from you soon, Kuzunoha! Take care, Mr. Narumi and Gouto!"

The Narumi Detective Agency – hurriedly, in Narumi's case – gave their goodbyes and climbed the stairs to Konnou-Ya. Its owner, a miserly balding man who had forgotten about all of Kotone's purchases in the past year and perceived her once more as a child who bought nothing from his store, expressed great distress at their simply walking out of his basement without buying a thing, paying that they had reached the basement without his knowledge no mind, and pestered them until Kotone agreed to buy some Medicine for her demons.

A pair of men awaited them at the agency doorstep. One had just turned from a sniveling boy into a man in his father's place, and the other had reduced himself to a sniveling fool for the sake of his son.

"Kenta, Mr. Kogure," Kotone greeted them with a pleasant tone. "It's good to see you're both safe."

"Hello there," Narumi smiled at the boy and inclined his head at the father. He had heard of them from his apprentice and saw through the Kantou Haguro-gumi punk stance that was natural to Osamu, thanks to the basket of croquettes he held in his sandpaper-dry hands.

"You must be Mr. Narumi," said Osamu, his hardened mouth breaking into a smile.

"Just Narumi, please," said the detective.

Osamu nodded. "Kenta and I wanted to thank your Agency for helping me escape that…bizarre place. Here." He handed the detective the croquette basket before turning to Raidou. "I talked with Mr. Satake. He wasn't too happy, gave me more than an earful, even, but at least I ain't a peon again…"

"Satake's justice system when it comes to his men actually has merit. He has a soft spot for members of his crew," Narumi noted.

"And for you, Raidou," said Osamu, his innocent smile turning into a suggestive grin. "He sends his regards to Narumi and your cat, and a letter for you."

Nudged forward by his father, Kenta held out a folded piece of parchment with his head bowed. "Here…from Mr. Satake!"

"Thank you." Kotone unfurled it and read aloud, " _Kotone, my enemies are looking for a delicate teenage girl to exploit my alleged weakness. Idiots. Keep up the cross-dressing act and you should be fine, but it's gotten around that Narumi's a close friend of yours. I'd tell him to be careful. Watch out. –Kenzou Satake._ " She glanced at Osamu thoughtfully. "How does he know my real name?"

"Oh," Osamu smiled. "Your journalist friend was very accommodating."

Narumi frowned. "What's that supposed to mean? And  _I'm_  in danger now?"

"We didn't harm her, if that's what you're thinking," said Osamu, waving his hands defensively at the implication. "The dame opened the door to your office. She was fixing stuff around the place. When we asked her where you all were, your friend called Raidou with her real name. Mr. Satake didn't think you'd mind."

"Not much we can do if he knows," Narumi muttered, but knew there was no real harm in the yakuza boss knowing his apprentice's name. It made that false rumor buzzing around a little more realistic this way, however, and it made him slighlty uncomfortable. Not that Satake could possibly be serious – he still saw Kotone as a man with whom he shared a mutually beneficial relationship consisting of case files and favors despite everything that happened, he'd confessed to Narumi, and some friendship he reserved only for those who earned his respect, a list that now included the members of the Narumi Detective Agency. "Tell him thanks for the warning."

"Will do. Take care, now. Lots of guys out there who ain't content with how Mr. Satake runs the business in the Capital," said Osamu, bowing and turning in the direction of the train station. "Thanks again."

"Bye, kitty," Kenta said to Gouto, patting his furry head gently, and followed his father out of sight.

Narumi watched them go proudly. He liked the feeling of expecting more customers soon, even though he treated the thought with some disdain, especially when Kotone wasn't around. Remembering the basket in his hands, he grinned at his two companions. "Looks like dinner's all set!"

"I'm all for croquettes," said Gouto, tracing a whisker with his paw, "but that wouldn't be very nutritious for you, Kotone."

Narumi, already unlocking the door to his office, looked back. "Hmm?"

"Gouto says the basket will be empty before the afternoon ends. We'll have to buy dinner again. Perhaps with your funds this time, boss," said Kotone.

"We'll talk about that later," Narumi said with a jittery laugh. "Come on, let's get settled back home."

Kotone watched her boss enter the Ginroukaku building with a curious tilt of her head. "How strange…"

Gouto was already on his way inside. "What is?"

"The boss hardly took notice – if he did at all – of the fact that Miss Asakura entered his office and rearranged his things," said Kotone, almost perplexed. It seemed completely out of character for the Shouhei Narumi she knew. "A year ago, he might have whined irritably about it."

Gouto chuckled. "Catching on, are you?"

"What?"

"Nothing," said the cat, stretching his mouth into an innocent smile that instead appeared sinister. "Narumi gave Tae a spare key, so he probably expected something like this. And people change, even over so short a time as a year – as Protector of the Capital, you should understand this best."

"I should," Kotone agreed, missing the clues that Gouto laid out for her as she quietly berated herself.

Narumi leaned against the door frame, an eyebrow raised at Gouto and Kotone. "Are you two coming in for the Investigational Meeting, or do we plan to stand around here and talk about me all day?"

* * *

Raidou and Gouto bounded out of the train station. Dahn was gaining on Akane, the Narumi Detective Agency realized towards the end of their discussion, and it was only a matter of a time before he realized her true whereabouts. Not to mention that a number of his Fukoshi were trailing Raidou herself and she had probably already led them to the mansion during her last visit. Narumi had continuously rung the Narita residence from at least half an hour back, but no one answered.

They had run so far in such a short amount of time with earthquakes in between that Raidou could feel the sweat trickling down her neck, and in between the folds of the chest she bandaged down every morning. Gouto was so exhausted halfway through that his descendant had picked him up, but the violent swings of her arms as she leapt through Kasumidai did little to subdue his sudden vertigo, and he requested to be set down again.

The mansion's front doors were already open when they arrived, though it didn't come as a surprise. With the telephone's cacophonous ringing in the background, army soldiers lay sprawled about on the front porch, leading as a trail of groaning breadcrumbs into the vestibule, right before the receiving room, where a black-masked Fukoshi stood guard.

He started at the sight of the caped student and her matching black cat. "Y-Yew…! Yer alive…? Ah remember yew from Mannen-Cho! The luck locusts shoulda chewed up all yer luck by now... Though yer outta luck either way! Yer gonna die even if we leave yew alone now… Don't think yer lucky to have survived, 'cause yer in for a livin' hell." Raidou gave no reaction to his empty threats, prompting an irritated grunt from the Fukoshi. With a concentrated arch of his back, he faded away as though he'd been a mirage all along.

"What a mess…" Gouto leapt over the soldiers to reach the receiving room. "C'mon, Kotone. I'm worried about Akane now."

Raidou caught sight of the phone, still ringing, below a large portrait of Councilman Narita. Picking it up, she said, "Boss?"

"Raidou!" Narumi sounded surprised, the familiar sound of things falling off his desk proving it. "Must be chaos there if you had to answer the phone yourself. What's the situation?"

Raidou felt almost mesmerized as she stared at the receiving room's doors. They rippled with magic she was finally familiar with. "Dahn is here, boss. There is a Fukorutsubo spell blocking the way to the receiving room – I'm about to enter."

"All right." Narumi felt his breath hitch. They were finally about to face Dahn and he was useless back at the office. Getting accustomed to doing leg work again was finally unnerving him. "Be careful, Raidou. And remember that the bugs are weak against fire."

Kotone wanted to tell him not to remind her, as the thought still made her want to retch, but she was Raidou Kuzunoha the 14th. Though he was a friend, Narumi still reported to the Yatagarasu. "Thank you, boss," she said, and put the phone down.

As soon as she did, Councilman Narita's butler came out of hiding from behind the staircase in the main hall and fell to his knees. "P-Please!" he cried. "I-I tried to get into the sitting room, but I can't! I fell unconscious in front of the door…and when I came to, I was in this strange place! M-Master Tasuke and Mistress Akane are in there! They're being held captive by a young man…!"

Gouto sneered. "They've got some nerve using the same spell twice. All we've gotta do is break through – let's go, Kotone!"

Raidou nodded dutifully and, striding forward to touch the ripples warding the receiving room door, realized she was no longer a stranger to the feeling of losing her grip on the waking world.

The sunset was gone. Raidou woke to the depths of sickly green insect wing patterns, though pores still fell from the sky like snow. It was ironic how an assassin's weapon could imitate the curious descent of falling snow, peaceful and calming. Her ear rested against something of a smooth texture, like the flower petals that she and her favorite male cousin used to collect into piles and dive into, so Kotone turned her head to see what it might be.

The black walls. Insect wings touched like petals.

Kotone inhaled sharply and jumped back, springing to her feet, a scream begging to come out of her throat. Disgust crawled up her spine and she hardened her back so as not to release the shiver that would show her weakness – not that Gouto needed any more evidence to show that the great Raidou Kuzunoha the 14th could defeat soulless armies and awful little gods but cowered at the mere thought of a butterfly.

"I'm all right," said Raidou, holding a hand up to silence the cat whose tail flicked in vague disappointment.

Gouto tilted his head and pawed at his whiskers. "I hope you're sure about that, Kotone, because I don't think it's a light waiting for us at the end of this tunnel."

Raidou stared into the forking paths thoughtfully, reaching for a tube on her chest. "Perhaps it needn't be a Jiromaru. Leanan?"

Leanan Sidhe was a woman, moreso than Lilim in the physical sense. She was pale with long, platinum blonde hair, full lips, a face soft enough to tempt a man but with enough ire to stave him off. Her long black dress dipped low into her chest, at the tip of her stomach, and yet she floated in the air in a laid back sitting position, seeming to take no notice of it in any way.

She gave her summoner a sly smile when she realized where she was. "Kotone, dear," said Leanan Sidhe, "how can I help you? It's been a while since we fought together. Although I can't say I miss the gore…"

"There'll be no gore today, Leanan," Raidou replied. "I needed a beautiful demon at my side to attract another who resides here. Asking for directions might be a better plan than stumbling about this sick maze."

"Oh." Leanan only laughed, accustomed to the more businesslike tone Raidou often took while on a mission, and it sounded like the pealing of bells. Her hair swayed to the side and reminded Raidou of silky rays of sunlight. When Kotone had first met the demoness, she, like many Devil Summoners and regular humans, had been tempted to trade her life away for the company of such an alluring being, but Lilim saved her and helped her convince the woman to join her team instead. "Well, when you put it that way…"

"Hey!" A flash of green light, and Lilim was flapping her wings furiously with an expression on her face to match. Speak of the devil. "Beautiful demon? What about  _me_? And don't even get me started on how you interrupted me again, Kotone!"

Leanan Sidhe put a dainty hand to her lips and gave a slight chuckle. "Kotone knows the score, my dear Lilim."

"Stay out of this, Leanan," Lilim hissed. "I'll show you beautiful!" The child of Lilith clasped her hands together and uttered incantations she had learned from her siblings as a child, her eyebrows knitting more tightly by the word.

"A summoning spell," said Gouto, watching Lilim's now visible aura glow violet. "But not the kind we need. Stop—!"

As was often the case, it was too late. Lilim's spell had attracted a Fury Nezha, a demon quite common in the depths of the Fukorutsubo, and it was in even less of a good mood than its kind usually was. It came charging in from the eastern path, letting out a fierce battle cry and hurling its stave at Kotone.

"Uh-oh," Lilim muttered.

Raidou caught the weapon with her left hand and turned to her oldest friend. "Can't you control it?"

"I didn't learn  _that_  spell!" Lilim waved her hands helplessly. "My mother told my sisters not to teach me when she found out I was friends with you, remember? Go kill it with its own weapon!"

Raidou dropped the stave and flicked out her revolver, but Leanan was in the way of the demon before she could fire.

"There, there," Leanan cooed, patting the Nezha on the head with a glowing pink hand. A charm spell, and a triumphant grin sent Lilim's way. The two females were partners and the closest of friends when it came to Kotone's demons, but that had never stopped them from a little competition. She floated out of the way to reveal a calm Nezha, seemingly civilized to the point of bowing. "And Lilim, you should know better than anybody that Kotone's left hand is strictly her trigger hand."

"Age over beauty," Lilim huffed.

A dark expression overcame Leanan's pallid features. "What was that?"

"Nothing…" Lilim smiled sweetly at the woman. "Now, Kotone, what did you want a demon for anyway?"

"As I said earlier, directions." Raidou approached the Nezha, sword drawn, but didn't strike. "Mr. Nezha. We would like to escape this place as soon as possible. Which fork paths do we take from here on out?"

The Fury Nezha took one loving look at Leanan, who nodded, and answered, "East, west, southwest, my dear girl. I know not their purpose, but there are two masked humans standing near there. It's strange. They themselves seem to be the exit – only they can provide passage for humans such as yourself. Zappo!"

Raidou breathed and cleared her mind, crawling with bugs. "Leanan, that will be all."

Leanan's long eyelashes fluttered at Lilim. "I assume you at least know a banishing spell?"

The younger seductress shot her an impatient look. "I'd like to see you deal with being Lilith's daughter  _and_  friends with her greatest enemy's descendant at the same time."

Leanan shrugged and uttered her own incantations, which caused the Nezha to run back whence it came, disappearing as it went. Before she and Lilim could argue any further, Raidou summoned them back into their tubes.

Having been oddly quiet during the exchange—the cat usually had a comment for whenever Lilim was out of her tube—Gouto sighed. "Women. I'm glad your father trained that pettiness out of you, Kotone."

Raidou smiled. "Let them be. I don't understand why they argue. Strength and strategy win battles, not beauty. At best, it serves as a distraction."

Gouto wondered, in retrospect, if Kotone's father had been right to train her so vigorously in battle, with nary a care for the world beyond demons and her duties as a Great Summoner. He  _did_  want the name of Raidou Kuzunoha to continue down his bloodline. Then again, Kotone was only seventeen. This new century was a chance for women to outgrow the rigid rules in which society had placed them, and he didn't want to stop Kotone from doing that – or it could just have been Tae talking.

Thanks to the Nezha, it took Raidou and Gouto only a small while before they found two masked men speaking in hushed tones. They seemed so engrossed that it was tempting to just attack them and take advantage of their surprise, but they hadn't spread any numbing poison the way their elders in Tsukigata Village had, and in this state Raidou felt she could take them on without too much trouble. Jiromaru was disgusting, but he wasn't too difficult an enemy in the face of Pyro Jack. The summoner had to draw her sword twice before the Fukoshi noticed her.

The Fukoshi's shoulders tensed at the sight of her, and the one to the left had a familiar voice. He was one of the assassins who had stolen her luck in Mannen-Cho.

"Yer stubborn as a mule," he said, his katana ready. "Yew keep fighting against us. Ain't yew got no sense, girl? Or are yew sick of hangin' around limbo, and yew want us ta finish yew off?"

The second shook his head and raised a hand to his lips, getting ready to whistle. "One way or t'other, it's time to finish this! Sic 'em, Jiroma–"

"Nue, Shock Wave!" Raidou interrupted, pulling a tube from her chest. Nue leapt out of the green flash of light with a great roar that matched his tiger limbs. His green snake tail hissed excitedly as lightning shot out of his wide black mouth, shocking the two Fukoshi into twitching on the floor.

"Kotone!" Gouto leapt up to his descendant and gave her a noticeable frown. "These are humans – you can't use your demons on them! Using Gozuki to knock out that civilian was one thing, but using spells on humans—"

"This is an isolated instance," Kotone reasoned. "We're in a hurry, Gouto, and they live."

Nue shook his white, slicked back fur and put a paw on each man. "STILL A SPARK IN BODIES," he noted, glancing back at an approaching Raidou. "FINISH OFF?"

"No," his summoner replied, and was only able to breathe when her vision blurred. She hadn't been sure if knocking them unconscious would break the spell. Commanding Nue to return to his tube, Raidou saw the world of Fukorutsubo flow eastward like a river until it was out of sight and the space before her was occupied not by an insect wing guarding the depths of a sullen green sea but the door to the Narita mansion's receiving room. At her feet lay two black-masked Fukoshi, and the one whose build she now recognized stirred a little. Raidou checked his neck for a pulse and considered removing his mask to further his shame, but decided instead that the red boxes on his and his companion's waists were of greater value.

As she moved to unclasp them, he seemed to wake. His hand had a weak hold on her wrist. "How in the hell…" he groaned weakly, "how did yew survive…with luck like that…?"

"I learned something of luck in the Tsukigata village," Raidou replied, removing his hand from her person and placing their boxes onto her own belt. Already, she felt more optimistic. "And I believe it's time you returned what is mine."

"Tch…Wipe that smirk off yer face…" the Fukoshi mumbled. Raidou's mouth dropped into a line. She hadn't even known that she was smiling. With the last of his energy, the Fukoshi proclaimed, "The feller up ahead will kick yer ass fer damn sure!"

The Fukoshi was unconscious again, and Raidou realized that the butler was gone. She figured he was cowering somewhere within the house, if he hadn't run out completely. Gouto pawed at her feet. He appeared resolved to be distant because of what she had done, but there were bigger issues at hand. "Dahn is up ahead. Make sure you're ready."

The receiving room seemed just as much of an old photograph as the mansion's entrance hall. It was so drab that Raidou barely noticed the vases and paintings skirting the walls. In fact, the only reason she noticed the long table in the middle of the room was because she had nearly bumped into it. The room was lit a dim yellow, but even in the soft light she could see three figures clearly: Akane, Dahn, and Councilman Narita.

Akane was standing off to the side, holding her purse to her chest and staring at something fearfully. Raidou followed her gaze and landed on the almost comical sight of Councilman Narita's feet dangling against the wall, the only thing keeping him in place being a shoe pressed against his neck. It was Dahn's, his red jinbaori and black hair bright against the councilman's gray suit. She couldn't see his face, but even Gouto knew he was grinning at the sound of Narita choking against his foot.

"You sound like a strangled chicken," said a familiar voice. It took Kotone a moment to realize it was Dahn's voice as she barely remembered it on the Ushigome-gaeri bridge. His accent was much less pronounced than those of his men. "Heh. Brings back memories of the village – the same village you left because you weren't keen on the Tsukigata way, huh, Narita? But here you are, takin' their money and shelterin' Akane." He scoffed, "It ain't funny, neither."

"I'll…give…back the…money…" Narita struggled to say, his legs swinging wildly and his hands prying pathetically at Dahn's foot. "I'll…give back…"

Dahn snorted. "Keep your money. You'll need it for your hospital bills."

"Stop it!" Akane cried out, taking a step forward.

Dahn removed his foot immediately. Narita fell to his knees, holding his throat and finding himself in a hacking fit. Raidou's gaze flew back to Akane, whose figure was now wrapped all in Dahn. She shook herself out of her reverie. Watching Narita suffer had been so horrifying and mesmerizing that she'd had to stop for a moment. Raidou took light steps in reaching Narita. Neither sibling had noticed her yet, so she helped him up to a seat near the table and held his shoulders steady. "Are you all right, sir?"

"I been looking all over the Capital for you, Akane," said Dahn, his voice suddenly of a different tone. With Narita it had been amused and gruff and angry, but with Akane his voice was gentle, riding on a low whisper. "This Capital's one big place."

Akane shook her head against his embrace. "You're always doing everything the way you want to… You never listen to me, brother!"

Narita coughed hoarsely before grabbing Raidou by the shoulders and pointing at Dahn in a panic. "Y-You came at a great time!" he exclaimed, and it was as though his composure and disdain for her had never existed. "I'm in luck! You're looking for Dahn, right? Here he is! This man is Dahn!"

Akane peeked her head out from her brother's embrace and gasped. "R-Raidou?"

Without turning, Dahn sighed irritably. "Them fellas I left to keep watch… I know they're not the kind to ignore orders and let you through. So how'd you get here…?"

Raidou forced Narita's hands off her and stood straight, flipping her disheveled cape back as she moved forward. "I've been sent to the Fukorutsubo under normal circumstances, after being drugged, and after inhaling numbing poison. I am not so easily deterred, Dahn Tsukigata."

Dahn released Akane and whirled, an eyebrow raised curiously. He stared at Raidou, sizing her up, it seemed, and Kotone took the opportunity to memorize him so as not to forget him again. His build was larger than she remembered, his shoulders broad and his body narrowing along his waist. She couldn't see much past his encumbering jinbaori, but his face was older somehow. It was his frown, portraying confusion and irritation and a different sort of recognition she hadn't expected. His eyes, Kotone realized, he certainly hadn't taken from his father. Akane and Akijiro shared the same eyes. But Dahn's were deep set, russet, and might have been captivating if they weren't so angry.

Dahn had thin lips, and they parted to utter, "…You. The girl from the bridge and the train. Sorry, but go on home. I'm busy right now."

It was Kotone's turn for confusion. "You mean to say – you're not aware of who I am?"

"Yeah, yeah," Dahn sighed, waving a hand at her dismissively. "You're the girl who's been followin' me."

"No." Kotone felt her eyebrows knitting. This wasn't how she had expected their confrontation to proceed. "I am Raidou Kuzunoha the 14th. The Devil Summoner; Protector of the Capital. You have been following  _me_."

"Wait…" Dahn scratched his head a bit, her earlier words catching up with him. Numbing poison and the Tsukigata Village. The gumshoe didn't travel to the village alone with that reporter frail – she was with them. He just hadn't seen them together. " _You're_  the one my pals met at Mannen-Cho?"

"Yes." Raidou liked the recognition, no matter if she could already feel his ire for her rising. "And your elders in the Tsukigata Village – they aren't pleased with you."

"To hell with the elders," Dahn spat. "Look…I'll pretend I didn't see you. Less'n you're here to get in my way." He flashed a confident, patronizing smile, the kind Raidou was accustomed to seeing from older men. Satake's goons had taken her for granted before, and so had the other boys in Kuzunoha village – at least until she knocked them unconscious. His eyes were challenging, as though he believed he would win if ever they did battle.

"That's right," she replied, ready to prove him wrong. "I won't allow you to take Miss Akane."

Dahn's smile vanished even faster than Tatsumi's. "Wha… I don't quite get you. I don't remember pickin' a fight with you…" He was frowning now. "Take it from me, and don't bother. Go home and eat some bonbons or somethin'. You ain't beatin' me."

Raidou didn't appreciate his bonbons comment, but she wouldn't get angry. Retribution for this type of man usually came in a good beating. "Perhaps I should tell you – that same confidence is what coerced your men into allowing me entrance."

There was a change in Dahn's demeanor. He was getting aggressive. "Huh…so you beat my men, is that it, little miss Devil Summoner? Well now, playtime's over…and your luck just ran out. I'm in a foul mood now, no two ways about it." Dahn scratched his head wildly, just as Raidou thought his hair couldn't get any more disheveled, and she noticed, as he picked something from his back – nunchucks with ends like sickles – that he shared the thick provincial accent of his men when he was angry. "I'm madder'n a riled hornet's nest, and I'm gonna have revenge for those pals of mine… So the first thing I've gotta do is rearrange that pretty face of yours!"

Akane gasped. "B-Brother!"

Raidou unsheathed her sword and held it ready. No one had ever called hers a pretty face before (except for her mother and Hiruko, but they didn't count), and she might have been distracted or flattered by Dahn's words had he not slipped it in the same sentence as  _rearrange_.

"You have an interesting weapon of choice, Dahn Tsukigata," said the Devil Summoner. "However, within the narrow space a receiving room provides, don't you think you would only end up hurting yourself?"

With a wave of Dahn's hand, the sight of the receiving room flowed westward like a river until it was washed away by the familiar vision of a green Fukorutsubo. Narita fell on his posterior with a grunt, still holding his neck painfully, and was approached by an equally confused Akane.

"The Fukorutsubo, one of the Fukoshi's few spells, and yet one of the most deadly," Narita explained to the young woman who had pretended to be his daughter. He had always tried to distance himself from Akane, knowing her fate, but he couldn't push her away, especially not with her great likeness to Makiko. In the space of a week he had grown from disdaining to pitying to caring for her as a father should his child. His love had willingly taken on the dreadful task. So had Akane now, and as she held his arm fearfully, he wished she would be trapped in the Fukorutsubo forever rather than become the bride to those damned Tento Lords. He could hardly blame Dahn for his actions, but the boy was taking it to extremes. It was up to the devil summoning girl to fix this, if Akijiro's inability to stop his son was any indication.

Akane glanced around, understanding how the intricate patterns trapping them were related to her clan's legacy, but couldn't help but ask, "H-How…?"

"The spell is taught only to those who've reached a certain rank in Tsukigata clan training, but the devil summoner mentioned… I wouldn't be surprised if your brother taught his underlings as well," said Narita. "The only way to dispel it is to defeat the caster."

"Defeat…" Akane glanced at her brother and Raidou worriedly.

"We're awake," Raidou said to Gouto. "How is this so?"

"Quit that fancy talkin'," said Dahn, "you wanted a bigger battlefield, didn't you? I'm lettin' you keep your wits about you, givin' you a fightin' chance, and you're gonna complain? Not that I care if you're comfortable – I'm gonna pay you back for hurtin' my pals. Just wait 'til you feel the sting of my sickle nunchaku… Girl or not, I'll give you a hidin' you'll never forget!"

Dahn attacked first. With time that would have been maximized to only a few steps for most of Raidou's opponents, he was before her, throwing his sickle nunchaku at her face. Dropping her sword, Raidou bent her body back into a bridge on her palms and used the momentum to give Dahn an uppercut bicycle kick, knocking his weapon out of his hand and hitting his face. He stumbled backwards as she rolled to the ground and rose quickly to her feet, sheathing her sword and returning to her ready stance. If it was a fistfight he wanted, he would have it.

Dahn had something else in mind, however, as he rubbed his chin carefully and snapped his jaw twice to reassure himself that it was fine. "I'll admit you got me with that one… My head's spinnin' a little." He gave his curly hair another ruffle and feigned deep thought. "This'd be a piece of cake for me on my lonesome, but if it wants its time to shine, sure…" Two fingers to the lips, and a high-pitched whistle. "Come, my Taromaru!"

"No!" Kotone couldn't help but exclaim, holding her left hand out as though it would stop the expanding sphere of light from heralding the arrival of another giant locust. It resembled the Jiromaru of Dahn's henchmen in every aspect save for its legs, painted red, matching its position as the Fukoshi leader's familiar.

"Heh…" Dahn was pleased with himself. "My men told me that the kid who tried to challenge 'em was afraid of Jiromaru. I can see why now."

Raidou frowned. "Are you implying that the reason is that I'm female?"

Dahn shrugged, not caring much for her pride, and gave Taromaru a pat to the hind leg. "Go, Taromaru!"

Raidou stared at the bug, steadying her breath. It was so ugly. Moreso because its legs were bright red, vivid like the pillars of the Tamonten Shrine. Insects were sticky when they died. They stuck to the surfaces of whatever they died on or fell on after being swatted properly, and if this Taromaru were to die, then its bright red legs would stick to that surface too, and it would take a lot more than scratching off to get the color off the surface. What if it were to land on her cape once it died?

"Kotone," Gouto called her attention. She had almost forgotten he was there. "This is just like Jiromaru! Summon Pyro Jack!"

"I'm here, ho!" Pyro Jack declared, having released himself from his tube on his own. It was an easier task when Raidou wanted him to come out even without saying anything, because a willing summoner loosened the binds on the tube a great deal. "Another hee-nsect! Don't worry, Ko-ho-ne!" The little demon flew over to Taromaru, advancing on Kotone slowly, and inhaled as much as he could. "Agidyne!"

Taromaru barely budged. Its abdomen caught fire, but with just a few flaps of its wings, the fire dissipated. Pyro Jack turned his body to Raidou. "Why— _ahh_!" Pyro Jack's body was thrown against the insect wing of a wall almost as soon as Taromaru lifted a leg and struck him with a fierce roar.

Whimpering, Pyro Jack slid down beside Akane and Narita, who backed away in surprise. "A demon…?"

"Are you…all right?" Akane picked up his pumpkin head, blinking in surprise and almost dropping him again when his hat, cloak and lantern were lifted along with it.

"Pyro Jack, are you—"

"You distract too easy," Dahn called out, and in a similar fashion to Pyro Jack, Raidou's concern was interrupted as her body was slammed against the tunnel walls. Taromaru had charged her, pincers pinning her to the wall and antennae poking curiously at her face.

Kotone bit back a shriek, her chest rising and falling as rapidly as heartbeats as she stared into Taromaru's eyes, edges glimmering like hollow jewels. "Jack…"

"Hee-ho!" said an energetic whine, accompanied by a flash of green. Taromaru roared and shook its head blindly as a white blob in blue covered its vision, pounding at its eyes with a cold fist. "You're a meanie, hee!"

Raidou, who was dropped when Jack Frost leapt out of his tube, stood and decided he was worth a try. "Jack Frost, Cocytus!"

Jack Frost's black abyss of a mouth widened, shooting out tiny ice crystals and snow at Taromaru. It was enough to freeze the bug's head solid, and Taromaru backed away, struggling to regain its bearings. Realizing it was unable to do so in this environment, it picked up its wings and flew off in hopes of finding a way somewhere else within the tunnels.

"Good job, Jack Frost. Here, Medicine for Pyro." Raidou tossed her favorite Ice-order demon the item and left the brothers to their devices with Akane and Narita while she faced off with Dahn once more. It was extremely unfair, how the Fukoshi could order their familiars to fight her one-on-one and yet Gouto would scold her for using Nue to knock out a couple of the assassins. Kotone had never questioned the existence of a double standard until now.

Dahn was furious, but he could still spare a few compliments. "Y-Yer pretty good, Devil Summoner, confusing my Taromaru like that… I don't do this often," he said, whipping out his sickle nunchaku again, "but it's worth pullin' out to show you the pain we Fukoshi can dish out!"

Although he was in the middle of aiding his fire-wielding brother, Jack Frost could still hear the fight and sense the power within Kotone's curly-haired opponent growing. Raidou wasn't oblivious to it, either. Everything she had heard of Dahn so far pointed to him being a great warrior and a great leader, but up until this point she hadn't felt such from him at all.

Now Dahn's aura glowed red orange, and his presence became overwhelming to the point that Raidou felt like vomiting, not because she might not be able to match his might but because the spike in his power was so sudden and sharp that it dizzied her. It reminded her of Louis and his energy back in Shin Sekai, only with Louis it seemed as though he had controlled his power, let it sink in slowly so that her sense of it was gradual.

Raidou's temples were struck with a searing pain. It burned for a moment, and then it flared, spreading to her face and chest and legs until her vision was filled with white diamonds, sparkling in and out of sight until it was almost all she could see.

"Brother – Raidou–" Akane thought of rushing to either of them to stop their battle – she had been calling out to them since the beginning – but knew they would not listen. Akane continued to cradle Pyro Jack in her arms, her shoulders slumping as she continued to watch Raidou writhe on the floor.

"Ho-no!" Jack Frost squealed, leaping towards Raidou, who didn't seem to notice that she was down on all fours in pain. "Cool down, hee!"

The heat was still intense, but it subsided a little with Jack Frost's power. When Raidou recovered her vision, she spotted Dahn with his eyes closed, concentrating on his spell and clutching his head almost as if it was causing him pain as well. The devil summoner forced herself to stand, hand on her sword's hilt as she contemplated on whether she would run it through Dahn while he was out of focus or not. Her head turned instinctively to Akane, whose presence she had barely noticed with Narita's since they were transported to the Fukorutsubo, and saw even from afar the hopeful look in her eyes. Kotone couldn't kill a human in front of his family.

Raidou reared her clenched fist and punched Dahn in the face.

Dahn spat out blood, holding the left side of his face as he jumped over his feet in an effort to keep his composure. Still wobbling, he spared his opponent a surprised glance. "Playin' dirty, now, are we?"

"You depend on spells and your familiar too much," answered Raidou.

"Said the kid who needed fluff to fight a bug," Dahn shot back.

"Hoooo…!" Jack Frost squealed in anger, jumping off his summoner's back. "I'm hee-Jack Frost, ho!"

Dahn waved a hand at the demon with mild irritation and shook his head vigorously. It reminded Raidou of a wet dog shaking the water from its fur. "Maybe I underestimated what a devil summoner could do…" he grumbled, but stretched his neck side to side and recovered soon enough. "If I have to go through you to get to Akane, though, don't think I won't!"

Sickle nunchaku in hand, Dahn rushed at Raidou once more and gave it another swing. The devil summoner felt insulted; he used the same attack as his first. Did he really think she was so easy to defeat? Hadn't he tested her mettle enough? Again she kicked him as she backflipped, and soon she learned that her mistake was to emulate him, because he foresaw her counterattack and caught her foot, showing great strength as he lifted her by the leg and tossed her to the side.

"Jack Frost, Dia," Raidou called out, and received an energy boost in reply. With the pain in her leg vanishing for a moment, she jumped up and ran at him with her sword, hoping to at least knock him out with its hilt. He deflected her attacks as expected. As she thrust her sword at his shoulder in the hopes of immobilizing him, Dahn sidestepped and caught her left arm, having been extended so as to balance herself, and managed to twist her around so that he had an arm around her neck and a sickle to her face.

"I'll be takin' my sister now," Dahn's whisper tickled her ear, sending an aggravating feeling of helplessness through the devil summoner.

"Kotone!" Gouto growled.

"No." Raidou pulled herself forward and struck Dahn with a backward headbutt to the face, causing him to curse out loud and clutch at his nose in pain. Taking advantage of his distraction, she circled him and jabbed her sword's hilt at his head.

To her surprise, he only reacted with a few more expletives; normal opponents, even some demons would have seen stars already. His head certainly was thick. Maybe surrender would be an option to him now, Raidou thought as she kicked his sickle nunchaku away and drew her sword to the tip of his nose.

Dahn opened his eyes to the sight of steel. "Wh-What just happened?" His eyes flew to his weapon on the ground. "What kinda trick d'you pull, huh?"

As soon as the disbelief left Dahn's lips, the world around melted. The green of the insect wings and the black webs dripped like wet paint until they were once again standing in the receiving room. Narita and Akane glanced down in surprise to find that Pyro Jack was no longer in the latter's arms.

Raidou summoned the Jack Brothers back into their tubes and withdrew her sword. "That spell must have drained you of energy if you can no longer maintain the Fukorutsubo spell."

Dahn frowned, but soon it was consumed by his apathetic grin. "Heh... Sorry 'bout that. Guess I wasn't takin' you serious enough – that one don't count." He eyed her cautiously again, acceptance flashing across his face. "They sure don't call you a Devil Summoner for nothin'. I'll be takin' you real serious next time. How 'bout it? You're up for another round, right?"

Raidou zoned in on his grin and wondered if he meant it about taking her seriously. In the past, Rasputin had been almost frivolous when dealing with her, but Dahn was bordering on utter aloofness even after his defeat. The assassin was either hiding his irritation or he didn't hold grudges at all, and that was impossible. All humans held grudges. Still, the summoner nodded. "If you will name the time and the place."

"Stop it!" The slamming of chair legs broke the two fighters out of their taunting. It was Akane, standing and pushing the chairs aside as she neared them in a show of – no, it couldn't be anger – exasperation, maybe. Fear was a familiar sight on Akane, but not this. Anything implying impatience was so foreign on the woman that it seemed as though another Raidou from the future was possessing her. Dahn and Kotone didn't hide their surprise, and this was enough for Akane to revert to her usual sorrowful countenance. "Dahn…" she said, placing a hand on her brother's shoulder, "It's okay… I – I did have dreams for the future, but…"

Dahn squeezed her hand. "Akane…"

"It's okay. I've made up my mind. If it's for the village's sake… Besides, I've caused Raidou and the people of the Capital enough trouble." Akane hung her head, and at that moment, Kotone didn't doubt that the two truly were brother and sister. The despair on Dahn's face upon hearing Akane's words of surrender mirrored her own. "All I have to do is accept my fate. I'm going through with the Marriage Ritual."

Dahn clenched his fists so tightly that had he not been wearing gloves, his palms would have bled on through. "Akane, you're my sis." It was clear he was trying not to grow angry again, but he failed. "There's no way I'm standin' for that! Don't just sit there and let it happen – custom or no damn custom, I ain't puttin' up with them anymore!"

Akane glanced up to her brother for a moment, unaffected by his raised voice, her eyes sparkling with tears. "Dahn…"

Kotone felt as though she were intruding, as though this wasn't something she was supposed to see, but she looked on in curiosity.

Dahn reached out for his sister and squeezed her shoulders, his jaw shaking. "Listen. The village's future can go hang if it means you're gonna cry! Them villagers'll just sit and watch – so I'm the only one that can do anything, right?"

"No, Dahn, listen… I have no choice but to accept this…" Akane shook his hands off but covered her face, realization dawning in her eyes. It was soon replaced by resolve, however, and she shook the tears away, her lips trembling. "Be reasonable…"

Dahn would hear none of it. "Maybe I couldn't do it today, but I'll save you, Akane. I…Listen. I'm gonna become King Abaddon, y'hear?" He tilted his sister's chin upwards, wishing he could give her all the hope he stored within. "I've made up my mind. You're gonna be okay!"

Akane nodded, a small shred of hope in her eyes, but realized her mistake soon enough and gasped. "Wait...! What does that…Dahn? You're not going to do something reckless, are you?"

Dahn's reply was interrupted by one of the earthquakes that had been racking the capital of late. By the time the shaking ceased, he seemed to have forgotten all about comforting Akane and turned to Raidou. "All right, little miss Devil Summoner. I hate to see my sis cry, so you win today, all right? Lucky you. But I'll tell you now – when the dust settles, it's gonna be me," he pointed at himself with what appeared to Kotone like a half-hearted sneer, "King Abaddon, who wins. So don't get cocky, okay?" His attention returned to his sister. "I'm here for you, Akane. I'll become King Abaddon and save you."

Gouto, having been reassuring himself of his and Raidou's overall safety after the quake, frowned. " _Save_?"

Dahn didn't hear the cat and waved his hand in a similar fashion as the rest of the Fukoshi Raidou had encountered before. Her vision rippled again, and soon Dahn was gone. Akane grabbed after him, but she only swung at the air. "B-Brother!" she called out helplessly, "What is King Abaddon? Answer me! Hey…!"

"Miss Akane, if you've seen your father or his other assassins perform this spell before, you should know that he is gone."

Wearing shock all over, Akane glanced at the devil summoner. "Raidou – you…my father…?"

"Boss – Mr. Narumi and I recently returned from Tsukigata Village. Lord Akijiro informed us of the situation, Miss Akane," said Raidou, confirming the older female's suspicions.

Akane tucked her curled behind her ears again, a habit, Raidou noted, which became apparent when she was nervous or ashamed. "I see…I…I can't blame you if you despise me for lying about my name."

Kotone couldn't help but find that odd. Despise her for such a small thing? Of course, it would have been easier to understand the situation knowing she and Dahn were siblings, but it could never be cause for abhorrence. Being raised in a household of summoners and a household of assassins, both on the beck-and-call of the Yatagarasu – how could they be so different?

Councilman Narita sighed before Kotone could appease Akane's worries. "This sham of acting as her father has all been a waste."

Akane would have tucked more curls behind her ear had there been any more. "As you know, my brother is now a traitor to the Tsukigata family. If he's found by a member of my clan, he'll be executed. I thought that maybe I could find him before anyone else did and make him see reason... You saw what my brother is like, so I thought – I thought you might be able to capture him and bring him to me. I'm sorry… I know I used you. I caused so much trouble for everyone here… I'll leave now."

Kotone felt an emotion tug at her as she listened to Akane's words and realized it was growing irritation. The woman was so frail, so apologetic, so ashamed of herself, always. She wanted to knock her upside the head and tell her to stand up for herself, but she didn't want to embarrass her before Councilman Narita and she knew they could barely even be considered friends. That and her father told her never to give unsolicited advice to "just acquaintances."

"If those are your wishes, Akane, I must agree to them." Narita faced the devil summoner sternly. "I warned you before, Raidou. You have to know where to quit. I'm telling you this for your own good. You've learned of the Marriage Ritual… Let that be the end of your dealings with the Tsukigata clan. Consider yourself fortunate to be an outsider. You wouldn't want the bugs to swallow you up, would you? Hah… Like the Tsukigatas."

Raidou had expected scornful derision, an  _I told you so_  of sorts both to Akane and herself, but the Councilman seemed thoughtful; melancholic, even. The way he had chuckled at the thought of being swallowed by a bug – it wasn't out of amusement. It was almost as if he were recalling an old memory, as if the two young women and a cat weren't in the room at all.

"We'll see, sir," Raidou couldn't help but reply, and she almost covered her mouth afterward for it. There was no longer a need to challenge the old man. He was weak, she could see now, vulnerable; she just couldn't tell where yet. It wasn't necessarily Akane that made him this way, but it had something to do with her. Perhaps he had been affected by Dahn's mention of his truancy?

Narita was too sullen to care. He shrugged at the summoner and said to the girl who'd been his daughter for a few days, "Take care, Akane. You and I…we will most likely never meet again."

Akane stepped forward and held Narita by the hand, seeing the dirt on his white undershirt caused by Dahn's violence. There were bruises on his neck where Dahn's foot was only some minutes ago, she was aware – she took care of Dahn after his daily training sessions, before, and now knew the bruises caused by different types of blows.

"Thank you…" said the girl who was truly a stranger to him, "for all you've done for me."

Akane dropped his hand and exited the receiving room hastily, leaving Raidou with a quiet Councilman. It was curious how, by seeing his weakness, she was able to gain true respect for the man. She wasn't aware of the circumstances that led to his desertion of the Tsukigata clan, but certainly he couldn't have been just an ordinary coward to have lived in that horrid place before. Kotone bowed, more meaningfully this time around. "We'll take our leave as well, sir."

Narita seemed to realize that she was still there, and eyed her as though telling her to wait. When he finally collected himself, he spoke. "You'll…You'll take care of Akane, of course."

"Of course."

* * *

Kotone pulled her head from out of Narumi's closet, coughing and waving the dust away from her nose and mouth as she slammed it closed. There were certainly no mahjong tiles in there.

Raidou and Gouto had brought Akane to the Agency after little to no parting words with Councilman Narita, and after explaining what happened in the mansion to Narumi, said boss decided that they were to act as bodyguards to Akane from that point on until her wedding, and that they would take the trip back to Tsukigata village the next day. Kotone would have liked to stay home first, explore the Capital and visit Kaya and Rin, whom she hadn't seen since she left for the Kuzunoha village the year past and whom she hadn't had the chance to visit since her arrival, but Narumi's plan did have substance.

It was doubtless that Dahn was on the watch for them despite having only been defeated. During their discussion, Gouto had said that the Abaddon of legend was a fallen angel who tortured those without God's seal and drove them to despair, but that he was also known as the Locust King. There was clearly a connection between the 8th Fukoshi clan and this Abaddon – a disgusting connection, thought Kotone,  _bugs_  – but besides that, there wasn't much to go on. It puzzled Kotone how Dahn could think that he could become a Locust King. He knew his insects well, that was certain, but that didn't give him powers worthy of the title.

And what Akane had said,  _"It is every daughter's destiny in the Tsukigata clan to wed Lord Tento, our god. The Tsukigata clan owes him our existence – if Lord Tento desires my hand in marriage, what can I do but give it to him?"_

Destiny. It weighed so heavily on Kotone's mind that she forced the thought away before her attempt at understanding it drove her to madness.

"G-Gah! Raidou, what are you doing here?" Narumi was sitting up on his futon, pulling his blanket up to his mouth, but Kotone needed to see only his eyes to find his shock. The man rubbed his eyes and grabbed the alarm clock from beside his pillow. "It's almost an hour before midnight!"

"Hello, boss," said Kotone, looking at the particles of dust revealed by the pale moonlight phasing through the window. "I'm sorry. I couldn't sleep. I searched the case files for something I might solve to wear me down and remembered your mahjong tile request."

Narumi continued to stare at her in disbelief. "It's almost an hour before midnight!"

"I know, boss," said Kotone with some amusement. She understood that it was rare when anyone possessed her stamina. "I'll leave you to your rest now. Forgive me for waking you."

Narumi rubbed his eyes a little more and watched her retreating figure. In the haze of his sleepy mind, he remembered that at her age, he would be out with his friends at this time. But she didn't have too many friends. She hadn't even dropped Kaya a line since she arrived – ever focused on work, that was Raidou. "Hey," he called before she closed the door. Kotone peeked her head back inside, hat still perched on her head, and it was one of those moments when Narumi remembered that the Great Summoner was human, too. "If you need time to think, the roof'll do you some good."

"Thank you, boss."

* * *

Kotone unbuttoned her cape from her neck and wrapped it around herself tightly as she leaned against the rooftop railings. Now that she was on the roof, she didn't actually want to think. If she tried, silly thoughts would fill her head, like perhaps Nagi was so pale because she only came out at night and the white moon would shine on her the way her mother loved having the sun on her face. And then she would correct herself, thinking, of course not. Nagi is pale because she isn't Japanese.

Foolish thoughts like that – it was the fault of the stars littering the night sky. It felt the way someone feels whenever they are around their parents, no matter how old they are – childish. Not that Kotone would understand. Her conversations with most of her adult acquaintances never branched into such a topic.

Kotone strained her neck watching the sky. No dung beetles or grasshoppers, but the stars did seem to twinkle quite a bit tonight, almost as though they were diamonds dropped into the ocean like coins in a wishing fountain –

Raidou whirled and met her blade with the curve of a sharp sickle, its end almost touching her nose. Her cape gave a small flapping noise as it was blown to the side by a breeze, and then it fell to the ground.

She jumped and, using the railings as a point, somersaulted in the air over her assaulter and landed behind him. He was already facing her.

"Dahn Tsukigata."

"Heh." He gave her only a grin and attacked again. Raidou opted not to give a kick this time and gave her blade a little more credit, using it to stop Dahn's weapon from reaching her.

"So…" Dahn began, throwing his sickle nunchaku down. Her speed with that sword would turn it into an endless fight tonight. Deciding to throw a punch instead, he continued, "Fancy meetin' you here, summoner."

Raidou ducked from his fist and kicked his feet out from under him. Still with sword in hand, she pointed the tip of her blade to his nose once more. "If you are here to take Miss Akane, I wouldn't suggest it. You are still tired from our battle this afternoon, and as its winner I am bound to have more energy left in reserve than you."

Dahn frowned, staring at the tip of her sword again. "…Fine. But let's talk. That's what Akane wanted, right?"

"She did, but you've proven too stubborn. Talk about what?" Raidou asked, an eyebrow creased in sparked curiosity. "There's nothing we have in common that we could possibly discuss."

Dahn snorted. "'Cause you think I'm a country bumpkin, s'that why?"

"Of course not," she replied. By all accounts, she was a country bumpkin, too. Only the presence of her father and her time in the Capital had weathered down her own accent. "It's because you—"

"Then let's talk."

Raidou frowned. She wasn't going to be tricked into speaking with him just to say she didn't discriminate – but now that she thought about it, it would be interesting to know what was on his mind. Too long had she fought first and asked questions later, or perhaps it was the lack of sleep talking.

"Very well," said Kotone. "Talk."

Dahn shot her a look, his eyes nearly coming together at the sight of her sword. "You have conversations with people while pointin' that in their faces?"

"You don't expect me to trust you."

"I'll give you your personal space, summoner," said Dahn, rolling his eyes at her. "Fukoshi's honor."

Kotone would have protested, but he had already backed away, and was standing against the rooftop railings with his back turned to her. His speed aside, it wasn't wise or very polite; she could have killed him on the spot, but perhaps he knew she was an honorable Kuzunoha and wasn't the type to do such a thing. Generally. "You know, everyone thinks you're a brute."

"Wow."

Kotone stared at him. "Wow?"

"Is that how y'get to know people better? Insult 'em? Or is that how you devil summoners get cozy with your familiars?"

Kotone sighed. Was he going to be criticizing her all night? She had come here to watch the stars; not please a man whose pet insect had tried to kill her. His father had asked her to capture him and return him to the village. She should have been capturing him – but given how he had escaped her blade before she could use it to pin him to the spot and 'talk', she might not have been able to that night in any case, she reasoned. At least not without some effort. "I speak only the truth."

Dahn shrugged. He didn't take things personally too often. "What do  _you_  think of me, Raidou? That's yer name, right?"

Kotone continued to burn her eyes into his back. "Overconfident sometimes" – not that she would truly know – "last time, without reason."

Dahn grinned, glancing back at her for a second. "You just tell it like ya see it, don't you?"

"I don't understand how telling you you're very strong despite how you lost to me is going to help you."

"Me neither."

Kotone eyed him curiously. Was he drunk? Or perhaps friends with that Louis character? He had a way of making no sense that reminded her of the young blond foreigner. "What do you hope to gain from me? I won't hand over Miss Akane to you."

Dahn faced her again and rolled his eyes. "Your ears broken or somethin'? I said let's talk. S'not like you're so busy or anythin'."

"I am," Kotone corrected him. "I like to watch the stars at night. The sky is clearer above my village – though this roof has its advantages."

"Then–" Dahn took some steps towards her. When he got her comfortable enough, she would see it his way, too. "–let's watch the stars."

Raidou narrowed her eyes at him, pointing her sword at him before he could get too close. He stayed in place and seemed not to plan to go any further, however, as he raised his eyes to the stars. "If you look up from here every night… Don't you just see the same thing?"

Kotone shook her head at his foolishness. "When I was a child, I was of the impression that the stars changed places every night. They would play a game where you were tasked to find all the shapes they wanted you to find, and once you did, you would receive…a wish."

"Did you ever win?"

Kotone wondered why this man was humoring her, but she hadn't spoken of her life in the village before her training began in a long time, and it felt good. The nostalgia was creeping in, but it felt good. The fact that he tried to kill her only hours ago nagged at her, but some part of her reasoned: hadn't his father, Akijiro, as well? "My father taught me the game. Naturally, after I had named all of the shapes I could see, he would declare a brand new wish in my possession."

Dahn watched her expectantly. "But?"

Kotone was surprised to find his eyes on her. "…But what?"

"Don' know," said Dahn, his gaze distant. Perhaps he hadn't been looking at her after all. "Just sounded like you were gonna add somethin' else."

"…When the elders chose me to take my father's mantle," said Kotone, her eyes on the hilt of her sword, "to work to earn my place as a Great Summoner, I was eight. Every day after school I would be trained to the bone. Sometimes, I collapsed in my bed when I returned home. I wasn't able to watch the stars as much, anymore. At least, not with my father."

For a moment, Kotone thought Dahn had finally disappeared – or fallen asleep. But when she looked, he was still there, looking back at her. "How did he die?"

Kotone blinked and turned her gaze back to the stars. His eyes were always too intense. It was easy to match in a battle, but under the guise of carrying a normal conversation between the two of them… "You would ask me to share something so personal in your first civil conversation with me?"

Although it was only their first time speaking, Kotone realized that Dahn had a habit of shrugging in an aloof manner that made her want to say something more. She didn't think she had ever shared so much about herself with anyone outside the village besides Kaya and Rin.

"You started the sharin'," he said. "Figured you'd wanna finish it."

Kotone appreciated the chance to speak of her childhood, but nothing past that. "It was my father's wish that I take his place as Great Summoner should he lose the capability, and as fate would have it, the clan leaders believed me the only child with enough potential to take my father's place. Had I not been chosen, I would have been a disgrace to my family; the honor of becoming one of the Four Great Summoners has always been passed down from father to son – and daughter, now."

Dahn appeared thoughtful, forgoing the fact that she didn't answer his question. "So you followed what yer dad wanted, even if it almost killed you."

His wording was not appreciated. "If you mean to imply that I regret it, I don't."

"Uhh..." Suddenly, Dahn was on the roof ledge across Kotone. He looked almost uncomfortable. "That's enough talk for one night, don'tcha think?"

"If you say so," said Kotone, deciding Dahn Tsukigata must know Louis after all. She wouldn't even try to keep up with him now. "If you attempt to return for Miss Akane, however…"

"I wouldn't be too cocky if I were you, Raidou," Dahn interrupted, moving closer to the edge of the building. "Somethin' you might wanna think about – my Fukoshi ain't the only ones trailin' you."

Raidou straightened up. "And who else is trailing us?"

"Either way, you'll see. I can still save my sis," said Dahn, and somehow Raidou knew he wasn't going to say anything else on the matter. He didn't look back as the world shifted. "Well…bye."

"Goodbye," said Kotone, quirking an eyebrow, but didn't attempt to follow his disappearing act from the roof. Raidou decided she would have to look into spells that might be able to counter that 8th Fukoshi clan vanishing spell and ward it around Akane soon to shake off any more pursuers, but Gozuki and Mezuki would have to do with guarding her for the evening.

* * *

If there was one thing Raidou Kuzunoha the 14th hated besides insects, mathematics, and condescending adults who had no right to be, it was waking up to the sunlight. She appreciated cool, cloudy mornings and was especially fond of dark, rainy days when she could hear the hard battering of raindrops against the roof, and her cousins running into the house and saying school was cancelled for the day. Sunlight never did her much good, except cause her to sweat even further during training and have her clothes weigh heavier and feel tighter for it.

Kotone lay sprawled out on her ivory white futon, the pillow she slept with between her knees tossed somewhere on the floor near the door. Bright light glared in through the windows and the useless drapes; it was just her luck that where her futon was situated, perfectly in an angle from the window so that the breeze cooled her face every night, was the same angle where the sunlight hit the room directly every morning.

She batted away at the air as though it would cause the sunlight to disappear, and was surprised for a moment when it did. Clouds had moved in to cover the sun. She raised her head, glancing at the red insect cages sitting on top of her closet. Luck? Maybe.

Sense returned to Kotone in fleeting waves. Why was there sunlight? Here in the Capital, she always woke before the sunrise so as not to have the heat on her face. The clock she kept under her pillow which she struggled to turn over and reached for said—

"Nine o' clock?" Kotone jumped up and raced to the door, grabbing her cap at the rack beside it but still barefooted as she made noise running down the stairs and appearing at the Agency's main office in a disheveled manner only Narumi had ever seen her, once.

Narumi and Gouto were having buttered toast at the table, and were already watching expectantly when she arrived. She stared back at them, calmly analytical as always, but with some confusion. "What's the meaning of this, boss? Gouto? Hours past sunrise and nobody woke me."

"Mornin'," said Narumi, clearly suppressing a laugh. "Nice pajamas, Raidou."

Gouto swished a tail and shook his head. "Narumi complained about your quest for the mahjong tiles late last night, so we thought it best if we let you sleep in a bit."

Kotone looked down and remembered that she was still wearing her favorite pair of pajamas made especially for her by her mother, orange with the Kuzunoha clan crest all over. Orange, she admitted, was such an ugly color, stark and bright and called for too much attention, but she couldn't help but love it. Mostly because oranges were tangy and her favorite fruit. Not that anyone had ever asked, of course.

"I will change into proper clothing soon enough," she said indignantly, but took another glance at the clock. "I could have caught up on sleep in the train, boss. I had planned to drop by Dr. Victor's and try his new sword fusion technique…"

Her sword. Raidou remembered the fight with Dahn the night before; that it was the reason why she was tired and woke up four hours later than usual. And just as she did, Akane walked out of the kitchen carrying a tray of coffee, water, and two plates of more toast. The perfect lady, it was almost as if she were gliding towards Gouto and Narumi as she set the cups and plates down.

"Good morning, Kotone," said Akane, assuming it was acceptable to call her by her female name in the Agency (she didn't yet understand why she was Kotone  _and_  Raidou, but she didn't believe she had the right to ask). It was odd seeing the younger girl in anything but her black uniform and cape, but she supposed  _she_  was odd for thinking that; no one could always be so composed. If Akane didn't know how deadly Kotone was with a sword, she might have even called her near adorable out loud. "I heard you coming down… I thought you would like some buttered toast as well. I couldn't make anything else…"

"Good morning, Miss Akane," replied Kotone, bowing as usual. She appreciated that Akane hadn't laughed at her clothing as the two males in the room did. "Please don't allow the boss and Gouto to force you to work."

"Oh, no," Akane smiled. "This is the least I can do for all your help."

Gouto and Narumi smiled at Kotone triumphantly. "See, Raidou, we didn't force her into anything. Anyway, you still have time to ask Victor to craft you a new sword."

"That isn't all, boss. I still need better materials for Victor. Bargaining takes time."

"I'll go with you, then," Narumi shrugged. "I'm pretty good at haggling, if I do say so myself."

"Agreed," said Gouto. "Now, if only he could haggle his debts…"

"Why do I have a feeling Gouto might be saying something insulting?"

"Perhaps you are getting to know him quite well, boss. In any case, you can't accompany me. Someone has to watch over Miss Akane."

Akane wrung her hands at the mention of her name, uncertain as to whether she could enter the conversation again. "I could just come along… I've been out in Tsukudo-Cho on my own before."

"That was before Dahn knew your exact location, Akane," said Narumi, crossing his arms over his chest. Akane had seen that many times before – with Dahn, her father, Councilman Narita. Men couldn't be bargained with. "In fact, I'm surprised Dahn hasn't shown up on our doorstep yet."

Maybe on the rooftops, Kotone thought, but that matter had been dealt with as for the night previous. This was why she needed a new blade forged.

Something about the summoner's presence made Akane want to bargain, however. "I'd like to buy more ingredients," she pleaded. "For the trip – it will be a long one."

Narumi and Kotone caught each other's gaze, and neither required words to understand the internal debates occurring within the other. On one hand, with her training to be a wife, Akane was sure to be a wonderful cook. On the other, Dahn could be anywhere, and Raidou knew this more than anyone.

But Kotone was hungry, and she wanted nothing more to do with Narumi's modern bread and butter. "It would be best to have our own food on the way…so that we're satisfied until at least tomorrow, and are not forced to eat food tampered with by those villagers." She glanced at the Tsukigata at the table. "No offense, Miss Akane."

* * *

Narumi surveyed the marketplace in Fukagawa-cho with some disdain. Too many people. Too hot. They had just arrived and the midday sun was already grating on his nerves. He would have removed his hat to fan himself, but he was in the presence of a lady, and the two Raidous probably wouldn't let him live it down. He wouldn't be here if this market in Fukagawa-Cho wasn't the only place where no one would report a conspicuous young lad (actually a girl) traipsing around, shopping for materials to forge better weaponry.

"Well," said Kotone, stepping out of the safety triangle they had created with palpable haste, "my search begins. Boss, please take care of Miss Akane. I will find you when I see materials worth haggling for."

At one point or another in the previous year, Narumi discovered that he wasn't scared of how shopping was still something looked forward to by Kotone, who seemed barely female when she first arrived because of her stiff demeanor. What had scared the detective was how shopping for materials for new weaponry delighted the adolescent, changing her merely pleasant demeanor to almost eager. (Although still not as eager as when she thought Nagi might be a summoner, he now noted.)

"Wait a minute, Raidou." Kotone froze at Narumi's call, whirling around with her lips set in a line. It was the first he had seen of any displeasure she might hold towards him. She wasn't challenging him, he was sure – she was much too polite for that – late puberty, perhaps? A rebellious side of her he didn't know about? Either way, he continued. " _You_  should keep an eye on Akane."

"But Miss Akane and I are in the market for different things, while you are well-versed in matters of haggling for prices in any situation," Kotone said with persuasion she was unaware of possessing. Or was it that keeping company with Leanan Sidhe and Lilim again was augmenting her own skill? "Accompanying Miss Akane is a task meant for you."

Akane shuffled forward. "I…I can search the market for ingredients by myself."

"No," Narumi and Raidou said in unison, turning back to her. They glanced at each other, silently debating this time, and the older man acquiesced. His assistant did have a point – but flattery, really? He never knew she had it in her. Something akin to pride blotched in with mild irritation (as he'd allowed himself to fall for it) stirred within him.

"All right," Narumi said with a smile, showing none of his reluctance. He wasn't that reluctant, to be honest. He would never admit it to anyone, but all that bread and butter was starting to wear him down. He paused, glancing at Kotone warily. She didn't seem like she had brought out her mind-reading demon to know his thoughts – then again, she had the best poker face he had ever seen. Now, if only she wasn't completely incapable of winning a mahjong game even if it was rigged in her favor. "Lead the way, Akane."

Kotone and Gouto parted ways with them and soon with each other, the old soul taking Mezuki with him in case they needed to contact Raidou. Despite his feline form, the cat still possessed an excellent eye for quality when it came to weapons.

The heat and the noise didn't bother Kotone as much as it should have, considering she was clothed all in black. In the village, the Kuzunoha clan collected all the raw materials needed for forging weapons. It was better this way, the elders always said, to ensure that the Devil Summoners had more time for training instead of collecting. So the first time she had gone shopping on her own, she was overjoyed – the elders didn't like to experiment with new steel and she already knew too well the limitations of clan-issue weapons. Dr. Victor's help was always welcome when it came to fusions like this.

At the moment, Kotone was immersed in staring at two glinting pieces of steel, which would have looked the same to an untrained eye, but to those who received Yatagarasu training, possessed multitudes of different qualities. There was doubt in the back of her mind – perhaps she shouldn't have left the boss and Miss Akane alone, helpless, knowing that Dahn might be around the corner – but she brushed it off. Dahn would be too tired to fight today. He had learned from their previous encounters, she was sure. He would bide his time and strike when she was weakest, most fatigued; but she wouldn't give any opponent that opportunity.

So deep in thought was the devil summoner that she didn't notice the shopkeeper staring at her with some concern. What she did notice was the familiar presence behind her. It felt like a great shadow looming over her – and it was. The sun no longer glared into her back.

"Hello," said the presence.

Beret, blond, blue eyes. "Louis," she said when she turned to see him, concealing her surprise well. "Hello."

He stared down at her with a half-smirk. She realized he had always had that half-smirk plastered onto his face, but in the shadows against the light it seemed more pronounced. It made her almost uncomfortable.

"Is there something you need from this stall?" asked Kotone, resisting the heavy temptation to look anywhere but his eyes. No one had ever kept her gaze for so long – and it wasn't even intense. It was amused, and yet empty. As though nothing could surprise the young foreigner. "Or did you come to warn me?"

His smirk grew. It looked natural on him. Attractive with his power, still, and yet eerie. As though admitting that she was drawn to his energy was such a great sin – she couldn't understand it. Thankfully, she didn't have time to ponder on it as he spoke. "Kotone," he said. "I didn't think it possible for you to be selfish."

Kotone frowned. Louis appeared to expect this, but when was he ever shocked? "What?"

"You mustn't take offense," said Louis. "It's only human to possess flaws of this nature. No man is perfect."

"Your equivocations are lost on me," Kotone replied, and then added, "though that could be their point. What is yours?"

"Hubris is also a sin," Louis continued. "But in this case, you might be right to have it."

Kotone stared at him, waiting for him to finish.

He was pleased by this. "Remember that sin often resides closest to the heavens. Goodbye, Kotone."

She watched him leave with that checkered bag of his. Raidou thought to follow him, to demand answers, but it was pointless. Louis was an enigma, and with the amount of energy he possessed, maybe it was better that he remained so for the time being. He had never sent her in the wrong direction before, though this 'riddle' of his was even more cryptic than the last. And what was that about her hubris?

"Talkative friend you've got there," said the shopkeeper, agreeing with Kotone's disturbed expression. "So, what is it exactly you're looking for?"

Kotone glanced at him, and just in time – a luck locust had flitted onto his shoulder. She had fought so many of the Fukoshi's soldier bugs that she could easily tell what they were when small. Feigning surprise, she tilted her head and stared at the empty space behind him. "Is that…?"

"Huh?" the shopkeeper turned around, and his movement was enough to scare the luck locust away. Toward Kotone, at first, who dodged, but it was flitting away somewhere else, seemingly with purpose. Without another word to the shopkeeper, Kotone followed.

She was unsure how to use the birdlime and the insect cages. It felt awkward enough having two of the red boxes pulling her down by the waistbelt, but if it helped improve her luck, she would have to think about capturing more.

The luck locust flew ahead of her, taking her through twists and turns through the marketplace and out of it, always just out of reach. It seemed to slow when she did, pick up the pace when she did. Was it baiting her, aware that she possessed a cage capable of imprisoning it and draining it of its stolen fortune?

Finally, when Kotone had cornered it into an alley, the luck locust flew high up into the air, past a building where she could no longer follow it. Raidou frowned, staring into the sky as though that would will the insect to return, but it was her senses which returned to her instead.

"Kotone!"

The summoner whirled, finding Gouto and Mezuki panting heavily as they reached her.

"We've been chasing you since you fled the marketplace," said Gouto, and with the way his tone rose, Raidou already knew she was in for a scolding from her great ancestor. "What in the – Narumi?"

To her right, she realized only then, were bodies scattered on the ground. It was a normal sight in Fukagawa-Cho, Kotone had learned early in their first arrival at the Capital. She had wandered from a busily haggling Narumi and come upon seven men that day, either knocked out or barely conscious, and before she could summon Lilim to delve into the minds of those still awake, Osamu Kogure had arrived, a little shocked to see her there, and informed her that this was nothing of note; simply members of some minor gangs trying to wrangle control of the districts Satake lorded over.

"Oh," she had said then, back when she had been a mite apprehensive towards the idea of appearing too unknowing in the ways of the world to older men who would attempt to belittle her for it (though in retrospect, Osamu might not have done so, having been present when she defeated two of Satake's bodyguards). Narumi had explained to her the workings of Satake and his brood, but Kotone didn't quite understand the concept of organized crime until she'd seen it up close at that moment. "Carry on, then."

He'd proceeded to warn those with enough sense to remember that with Satake's dominance of Fukagawa-cho, there came order. And they had nodded, pulling up their near-fallen comrades and scampering off, too happy to escape with their lives for indignation.

Now there were seven men again, sprawled on the ground save for one – Narumi. He sat leaning on an upright knee, his face bloody with an eye beginning to swell up. There were stains on his suit, but Kotone could tell that most of it wasn't his. Officer Sadakichi had said as much in the previous year, and she didn't doubt it was the same now.

Kotone rushed to the man. "Boss," she said as he blinked, realizing she was before him and not a figment of his hazy consciousness. "Where is Miss Akane?"

"Appreciate…the concern there, Raidou," Narumi half-groaned, half-grumbled, holding his jaw with a grimace. Well, his face hurt like hell, but he felt energized enough to speak. He threw an irritable glance at the unconscious brutes. "These goons jumped us. I didn't even realize we were being trailed until Akane needed to use the ladies' room and we went looking, and, well, you can guess the rest. I…managed to to take some of 'em down, but…if I can just…get up from here, I can…"

It was clear that Narumi's body felt like lead at the moment. He could barely lift a hand to wipe the blood off his face. Kotone understood; her early days of training had taught her thus. "No, boss," said Raidou. "You'll only strain yourself." The devil summoner took in every detail of the brutes and their uniforms. None were familiar. "Why would they take Miss Akane? This is no Fukoshi trick. Dahn Tsukigata would never attempt to save his sister this way."

"It was planned. I'm sure of it, Miss Kotone," said Mezuki, arms resting on the hilt of his sword as he speculated. "After meeting such resistance from Mr. Narumi, these men wouldn't insist on kidnapping your guest unless they had intended to do so for a time."

"Mezuki's right. And they definitely don't wear these uniforms to feel like they belong," Gouto agreed, jumping over the thugs. He inspected them carefully, and Narumi was surprised at how he could wait for a cat to finish its meowing before giving his own input and still take himself seriously. When he could find nothing of note, the cat continued, "Kotone. Someone's got to answer for this."

"I understand."

"I don't," Narumi sighed, but watched patiently as Raidou removed a tube from her chest and—

"Mom-hee!"

Hiruko, Narumi remembered with a shudder. Creepy little thing, like guts put together in a little gut-colored cup with hands and feet as hands and a creepy head inside. Why Kotone had kept the thing when its kind almost ruined the Capital last year, he still didn't understand.

"I can see it," said Narumi, wondering if they were back in the Fukorutsubo, but it was too hot for them to be. "Why?"

"Our situation and my energy can afford that Hiruko appear to those without the sight here," said Kotone, patting the demon with almost a hint of cooing in her voice. It nuzzled the little of its head that protruded from its body into her hand with something like a purr. Narumi felt a cold shiver run up his spine. If she found that cute, he would hate to see what she found grotesque. Besides bugs, anyway. Who would have thought?

"What can I ho-do for you, mom-hee?"

Kotone smiled. While she found Jack Frost and Pyro Jack incredibly adorable, there was a charm to Hiruko's whispery, whimsical and yet ravenous self that she found brought out the doting girl in her. Or perhaps it was that she rescued him from a bleak existence in Waden One last year, from being simply a parasite among parasites to becoming  _her_  Hiruko that made her want to protect him.

Raidou approached one of the groaning men and turned him on his back with her foot. "Wake up," she ordered, nudging him with the tip of her shoe.

The goon groaned painfully again, reminding Raidou of the Yomi-kugutsu. The memory was still fresh in Hiruko's mind as well, and the demon gasped and flew before Kotone. "Don't worry, mom-hee, I'll eat it, ho!"

The man opened his eyes at the sound of such an inhuman tone of voice and screamed. Mezuki gave an amused smirk, but Narumi cringed. Gouto didn't look too happy, either. Getting up on his elbows, the thug backed away, crying out, "H-heeelp! What is that abomination!?"

Hiruko choked on a sob. "I-I'm not an abomination! I'll…" His four fists clenched tightly together. "I'll hee-eat you now, ho!"

"No, Hiruko," said Raidou, pulling the demon back by one of his four wrists. "Strike Fear into his heart."

"What?" Gouto frowned. "Kotone! Hiruko, no!"

"The spell is quick and painless," reasoned Kotone.

"To Hiruko, maybe. Evil Smile will haunt the human forever!"

"That would be exaggerating," said Kotone. "He will forget, but the lesson is learned. This is for his good as well as ours. Perform the spell, Hiruko."

Hiruko was obedient to his human, always, and floated carefully over to the thug, who had suddenly lost the energy to even attempt to crawl away. Once they were face to face, Hiruko's black abyss for a mouth closed to form a line, which stretched out and widened to form a smile.

Having understood only Raidou's end of her argument with Gouto, Narumi wondered what Hiruko was up to as the thug's face changed, from gruff in his sleep to bewildered at the demon, and now terrified didn't even seem to fit his expression. It was all the man could do not to soil himself. His fear was unfounded, and if he thought hard enough about it, he would have realized that there wasn't much cause for it, but the terror that engulfed him was so overwhelming that he shook visibly. "What—I—no—"

"Who sent you?" Raidou asked, Hiruko spinning cheerfully behind her. Narumi caught the grin on his face and felt a pinch of fear strike him from deep within. He looked away and the feeling dissipated just as soon, but that smile… "Why did your companions kidnap the girl?"

"I – I don't know!" the thug whimpered, burying his face into his hands. If anything, the fear increased, mostly thanks to Hiruko's smiling. "Boss wanted Satake's dame, and—"

"Boss? Give me a name."

"I—I can't! He – he's—"

The thug fainted. "Looks like his heart gave out," Narumi remarked. That smile definitely beat torture, though maybe the effects were too heavy for a thorough interrogation.

Raidou shook her head in disappointment and checked for a pulse. "He lives. But I doubt consciousness is in sight."

Hiruko narrowed his eyes at the thug, his smile disappearing. "Can I ho-eat him now, mom-hee?"

"Others will deal with him, Hiruko," replied the devil summoner, but she tossed him a croquette she'd been saving in case Narumi's haggling would take too long. Hiruko gobbled it up gratefully before returning to his tube.

"Satake's dame," Narumi repeated despite his increasingly painful jaw. His energy was dissipating again. "Those thugs thought Akane was you, Raidou."

"Apparently," Raidou agreed, pushing her growing anxiety away. When Kaya had first been kidnapped, she was irked that such a crime could occur before her own eyes, but she'd kept a level head. She believed she could find Kaya, and there wasn't much pressure despite the fact that Kaya came from a wealthy family. Not compared to the pressure she suddenly felt now – not only had they promised to protect Akane, but Dahn was on the loose and looking for his sister. Should he discover that she was lost under Raidou's charge – Kotone felt something she hadn't known since she was a child bubble within her: embarrassment, though she wouldn't admit it soon.

"Those thugs are long gone," Gouto said gruffly. He was still upset by Kotone's use of Hiruko against a human.

Narumi ignored the cat and asked Kotone the question that had plagued his mind since she arrived. "How did you even find me, Raidou?" He liked to think she had some sort of internal radar for trouble, but if so then she would have sprung to his rescue last year when Sadakichi and his men had beaten his face to a pulp in the same manner (though not without putting up a fight, he maintained).

"There was a luck locust. I followed it, and it felt though it wanted me to find—look." Raidou's eyes followed a shining bug flitting about above one of the thug's heads. She removed two tubes, summoning Dominion and returning Mezuki. "Dominion, please carry the boss home. That luck locust is getting away."

"No way," Narumi protested. "Akane was under my responsibility just as well."

"All right," said Raidou, too hasty for arguments.

"Whoa!" Narumi grasped the air for balance as he felt two arms scoop him up from the ground. His body ached, but he could vaguely feel 'Dominion', whose presence seemed to energize him again. The ground was much farther from his eyes than he was used to, and he grabbed for something above him to assure himself that he wouldn't fall and go splat all of a sudden. The detective shot his apprentice an uncomfortable glance. "Not that I wanna look a gift horse in the mouth, but…"

"Your superior is very fidgety," Dominion remarked to Kotone, but was ignored along with the human he was carrying. His summoner was much too busy following the insect that glinted in the sunlight to listen. They were fortunate that the insect took nooks out of the way of main roads, or humans would have already caught sight of a floating man following a conspicuous, caped boy. "Perhaps he would be more comfortable if he could see me?"

"In my experience," Raidou replied to Dominion absentmindedly, sprinting to follow the locust and fumbling for the pinch of birdlime she stored within one of her cape's inner pockets, "that would be inadvisable. Given his gender and yours."

"What?" Narumi glanced down, floating leisurely in comparison to Raidou, whose nose was beginning to sweat visibly. "What gender? Whose?"

"Very well," said Dominion, quietly chuckling at Narumi's attempts to understand the situation.

Gouto was still quiet, until he remembered the narrow alley they were running through, cramped by houses and weeds, and realized they were nearing the side of Fukagawa-cho they most frequently visited. "Stop!"

Raidou stopped instinctively and turned to Gouto. "I have the birdlime ready. I will attempt a capt—"

" _Kotone_ ," said Gouto irritably, his tail flicking with the sharp utter of her name, "we're nearing the bathhouse area. Narumi needs to walk on his own."

Kotone glanced at the luck locust, slowing but steadily moving, and then to Gouto. She understood that it wasn't the time to argue with him again. "All right, Gouto. Dominion, set the boss down, but aid him as he walks."

"Glad to know we're getting my opinion on how this works," Narumi muttered, but said nothing when he understood why. He limped toward the thickly populated area of town behind Raidou, who continued to follow the luck locust at a more languid pace. He wasn't sure if it was she or the luck locust who'd slowed down in consideration of his situation.

"If you're going to catch it, do it now," said Gouto, his lithe feline body still ready for a chase but his mood spoiled.

Raidou noted his anger and swiftly brought out a Tsukigata insect cage, smeared the birdlime from her fingers inside and held it out to the bug. At the back of her mind, she realized that keeping the cages against her belt meant keeping the insects close to her stomach, her weakest spot, but she shrugged the thought away successfully and focused on the insect.

The locust neared her, flitting around Gouto and Narumi before setting its sights on the cage. It seemed to recognize the cage, antennae touching (Kotone stopped herself from squeezing her eyes shut), but turned and flitted away before Raidou reached out to clamp the cage bar shut. "No!" Raidou watched it fly up and away, disappearing into the sunlight. "Why didn't it enter? There was birdlime, and…"

"Did you see the color of its outer face?" Narumi asked, straightening his posture as he spoke with invisible help. "That photo Akijiro showed us had a silver mask on the bug. This one was bronze."

"So it wasn't a luck locust…?" Gouto wondered aloud.

"A decoy," Raidou thought. "Is that what you mean to say, boss? That I've been chasing a decoy?"

"The 8th Fukoshi clan has countless types of insects at their disposal, right?" Narumi thought back on his conversation with Akijiro. "Another little soldier bug…who knows how many more types look like that?"

"Maybe Lord Akijiro knew," Raidou suggested. "He must be keeping an eye on us. That locust was much too accommodating, don't you think, boss? It led me to you, and–"

"Kuzunoha?"

Kotone had almost forgotten how tall Satake really was. He stood taller even than Narumi, with broader shoulders and a confident stance, but today there was something different about him – ah. He wasn't half-naked. The Kantou-haguro gumi leader had been taking his daily stroll when he saw the familiar devil summoner, who quickly strapped the insect cage to her waist and covered herself with her cape.

"Hello, Satake," she greeted him, hoping memories of their last encounter would not resurface in Gouto's mind and further his annoyance toward her. "How are you?"

"I should be askin' that question," he said, looking past her to eye her boss with a grimace. "So how'd Narumi get his face rearranged? Someone finally get tired of all that smirking?"

"Laugh it up," Narumi grumbled. "Funny story, really. I put up a fight trying not to get a client kidnapped by one of  _your_  enemies. They got this idea in their head that she was your 'dame.'"

Satake didn't laugh, though. He crossed his arms. "Didn't I tell you to be careful? I wrote a letter and everything. I don't write letters."

"If it makes you feel better, it was more of just a note," Narumi gibed. If he wasn't drunk on the magic Dominion's constant Dia spells caused, he would have treaded more carefully with the yakuza boss, but Satake didn't mind his joking as much as the swelling on his face.

"Boss, boss!" A man Kotone recognized as one of Satake's consiglieres ran up from behind her. He bowed before speaking in a collected tone laced with panic. "Kuzunoha's been kidnapped."

"Hello," Kotone greeted him.

"Oh!" he jumped at the sight of her. "It's you. But–" he looked extremely confused. "We just received a ransom note for the boss's dame."

"Okay," Satake started, and his men stiffened. This was his  _I'm about to hit something, so dodge if you're in the way_  tone. They knew it well. "One, Kuzunoha ain't my dame, and two, they're a bunch of idiots."

Kotone nodded in agreement. "As boss has said…the woman they kidnapped was a guest at the agency. They must have been tracking us – they saw her in the boss's company and must have thought she was your…" She appeared almost uncomfortable saying it, giving a small wave under her cape as though to imply it so she wouldn't have to. "Your  _dame_." Now that she had it out of her system, she turned to the consigliere. "What do they demand in exchange? Who are they?"

"The note claimed no ownership," the consigliere replied, telling his boss, "but they wanted control of the Red Light district."

Satake scoffed. "That ain't gonna happen soon."

"Of course not," the consigliere offered.

"Where did the idiots want the deal to happen?"

"By the docks," the consigliere replied fearfully. "At the church in Harumi-Cho."

"Those thugs must be pretty brave if they hold their base near the Navy," Narumi remarked. "Or incredibly stupid."

"I'd say they're pretty wise in that aspect," Satake laughed wryly. "If they lived anywhere close to Fukagawa-Cho, they'd be dead."

"Anyway," Narumi cleared his throat, licking a busted lip. "I think you might be right about Akijiro, Raidou." To Satake, he said, "Thanks for the info. We needed it…and now we'll be off."

Satake's expression as he looked at Narumi could only be described as disgust. "You should get some rest, Narumi," he said with something resembling pity. "You look like hell. A dip in the hot bath should do you some good."

"I agree, boss." Wiping his blood did little to help his face, after all, and she assumed he must have been tired, having begun with legwork again only recently. "I can take care of those brutes on my own…especially because Miss Akane's kidnapping was my fault. I shouldn't have left you two alone, knowing Dahn Tsukigata wasn't the only one having us followed."

"No," said Narumi, then did a double take. "Wait, what? How did you know?"

"I…" Kotone paused. "...Satake sent us a note telling us, didn't he, boss?"

"They must've hit your head harder than we thought," Satake chuckled. "Listen, Narumi. Shut up and get some rest." And that was that. To his consigliere, "Get my shoes. I'm going to Harumi-Cho."

Kotone glanced at the mob boss curiously. "Satake, your arrival might only validate their claims."

Satake shook his head; it was too late and he had already made his mind. "No offense, Kuzunoha. You and I both know you've got the goods, but they don't know that, and I've got a reputation to keep. It wouldn't do any of us good if those idiots thought I was hiding behind a girl."

"I understand," said Kotone, though she wondered what 'the goods' were. Did he mean demons?

"I'll join you, boss," said the consigliere as he arrived with Satake's shoes. "You'll need some backup."

"Nah," Satake dismissed him with a wave. "Stay with Narumi. Make sure his face doesn't get any uglier, all right?"

Narumi's lip curled, but the consigliere could only spare him compassion. "You got it, boss."

* * *

Despite her efforts during the Red Cape incident, Kotone had never been treated with adulation past a mere 'thanks' from the Kuzunoha village elders, the Herald of the Yatagarasu, and her favorite dessert baked by her mother upon hearing the news. But when Satake walked out of his main headquarters in Fukagawa-Cho, she imagined that it was how she might have been treated had her heroics been made public. Everyone who passed him bowed, greeted him, inquired as to his health, and made way for him. It was all sycophantic, she understood, and she was glad from of the obscurity that kept her from possessing the same irritation Satake was beginning to harbor. He liked the respect, of course, he'd said to her in one rare minute when no one approached him, but sometimes he had 'enough of the ass-kissing.' It was why he appreciated the Narumi Detective Agency.

"In the future, I'll make sure you needn't involve yourself in this, Satake," Kotone promised, looking up at him after he sternly returned some woman's eager greeting.

Satake brushed her off with another wave. "They were gonna kidnap some frail eventually. I actually figured it'd be Narumi's dame, given the rumors circulating about how you keep his company –  _not_  that you're my dame. But you know the gossip." He shrugged. "S'fine with me, really. Been a while since anyone tried gettin' one over the Kantou haguro-gumi. Gotta remind 'em who's boss, right?"

"Of course," Kotone agreed. "Better now than later."

"Exactly."

Kotone backtracked through the conversation and thought out loud, "Boss has a  _dame_?"

Satake smirked. "Where've  _you_  been? Sure. That reporter frail. She's a friend o'yours, too, right?"

"Reporter frail. Miss Asakura? The boss's dame?" The first thing that came to mind was that Tae would definitely go berserk at the thought of being anybody's frail or dame or  _woman_ , but the past week's occurrences provided her with a better understanding, a new angle. Gouto, who prowled beside her quietly, had made quips about them. It was no wonder they didn't mind sitting so closely together on the train to Tsukigata village, and  _that_  was why the boss didn't mind her rummaging through his office. "Oh, yes. I hadn't realized she was already his dame."

"No man troubles himself for a woman's safety unless he's hers," said Satake, and then added as he motioned to himself, "or doin' a job. 'specially not your lazy boss. He's got a wise head, but the reason why he hasn't gotten anywhere's because he's so lazy."

"To an extent, he's fond of the obscurity," Kotone explained, realizing it was a similarity they shared. "Having people breathing down his neck is rare, but when it occurs, he is easily frustrated. Boss is happy where he is."

Satake laughed. "And anyway, he's got his hands full with that tough reporter of his. So, tell me about this frail we're saving – it's not that Daidouji kid again, is it?"

"No. You're one of the few familiar faces I've met since I arrived. Boss and I have been very busy with our case, so I've yet to call on Kaya."

"You should," Satake told her. "S'only proper, if you're friends."

Kotone was about to reply when she saw the route they were taking. "Where are we going?"

"Streetcars," Satake answered with a tone. Shouldn't it have been obvious? "Can't walk to Harumi-Cho, Kuzunoha."

"I have a faster way, and we needn't pay."

"I don't pay for streetcar passes."

"We won't be cramped."

"Now you're talkin'," Satake grinned. "Whaddya got in mind, Kuzunoha?"

"I want to hear this, too," Gouto spoke up.

Kotone removed a small yet bulky flute from her cape. It was crudely made and looked old and worn, bits of the wood flaking off at the ends, but she held it confidently. "This is the Flute of Rhone." To Gouto, she said, "I haven't seen our friend in a long time."

Gouto was determined to show his disappointment, but he let this one slide. "If you can call that extortionist a friend."

"He's nice enough when you get to know him," said Kotone. When she turned to explain her plan to Satake, he was watching her very, very oddly.

"Did I just catch you talkin' to your cat, Kuzunoha?"

Kotone blinked. She had grown so accustomed to Satake knowing nearly everything that she forgot he didn't know about Gouto. "I come from a long line of powerful devil summoners."

"I know that. What's it have to do with the cat?"

"Trapped in the cat's body is my great ancestor's soul. He was the original Raidou Kuzunoha, but we call him Gouto now."

Satake stared at her, seeming to process all the information first, and then he threw his head back and burst into laughter.

Gouto wasn't surprised. Kotone didn't join the merriment. When the yakuza boss noticed this, he calmed himself down. People usually joined his laughter out of fear, but apparently he'd forgotten who he was dealing with. "You're serious, aren't you?" Kotone nodded. Satake's eyebrows knit together as he chuckled. "No wonder he stormed into the bathhouse that one time."

"I still don't find that funny."

Satake raised an eyebrow. "Did the great Raidou-cat say something?"

"He says he didn't find it amusing at the time, and has yet to."

Satake guessed he could question the truth a bit more, but more bizarre things had happened. A sixteen year-old girl in a towel and a schoolcap beating two of his fully grown men in a fistfight, for example. He could only laugh.

When he was finished, Kotone chose a secluded area of the docks, her flute firmly in her clutches.

"What's this big plan o' yours, anyway?" Satake asked just as Kotone neared her lips to the instrument. "This better not be a waste of time, Kuzunoha."

"It isn't," Raidou replied. "I'm about to call on an old friend; he is called the Large Tarrasque, but he swims faster when you refer to him as the Great Tarrasque. It's a male issue, I think. A demon, a bit larger than three skiffs. Try not to react when he arrives; noisy fear angers him, and quiet fear inflates his old ego. Only alcohol or—"

Satake sighed. Devil summoner or not, heroine of the Red Cape Incident or not, she was still a teenage girl. Or maybe she was just taking the chance to talk; it didn't look like she had a lot of friends outside people she met for work. Poor kid. "You're rambling," he said outright. The way Kotone's face flushed in realization was revenge enough for her actions the last time they met. "Get to the point, Kuzunoha."

"All right," said Raidou, regaining her composure. "Act nonchalant."

"Gotcha. Get playin'."

Satake certainly knew how to be bossy. But what did she expect from a yakuza boss? Raidou put the flute to her mouth and began to play.

Satake wanted to grab the Flute of Whatever Hell That Demon Came From and break it in half, and then take those pieces and break them into even smaller pieces, and then use them as firewood for the funeral pyre he would build for his ears. The flute produced a high-pitched, squeaking sound, like nails against a chalkboard. He couldn't distinguish one note from the other. On his more aesthetic days, he might have been able to tell himself that there was beauty in the sheer horror the sound produced, but right now it just annoyed the hell out of him.

Before he could break the flute, however, the water began to rise. Raidou played even louder, her terrible sound making music with the roaring of the rushing river.

Finally, a great shadow rose from the water, only it wasn't a shadow. It was an ox's head with a turtle's body and a rat tail, and its bellowing shook the unstable wooden docks on which they stood. "Who  _dares_  summon the Large Tarrasque while he slumbers?"

Satake stared at the demon quietly. He remembered fighting those zombie things during the Red Cape incident, but this was the first time he'd faced such a large demon. So ugly, too; such a bitter expression on its face. If this was what Raidou dealt with on a day-to-day basis, he could understand why she held no fear for his men.

"Greetings, o Great Tarrasque," said Raidou with extremely formal speech, accompanied by a bow.

Something rose from the demon's throat, shaking the ground again. When Satake came to his senses, he discovered that it was the Tarrasque's hearty laughter. "Why, hello there, sonny!" the creature fondly looked upon Raidou and her feline ancestor. "I was beginning to think you'd forgotten all about me!"

Raidou smiled cordially. She definitely still had her guard up; it was the same smile she wore every time she entered the bathhouse. "Of course not," she said, tossing him a Jin Dan. His ox mouth caught it. "I returned to my village to train. It was time-consuming."

"I understand, sonny," said the Tarrasque, then noted Satake's presence. "And who might you be?"

"This is Mr. Satake," said Raidou. The honorific felt foreign on her mouth; she hadn't used it since she defeated her descendant and went for a drink with the man and her boss (though drink for her meant orange juice), after which they were required to nurse Narumi's hangover and became something like unstable friends, and he said she needn't address him the same way his people did. "We require your aid to reach the Catholic church in Harumi-Cho."

"Oh." The Tarrasque was in deep thought. "Is this where you fought that dark summoner?"

"Rasputin, yes… Although I doubt he resides there now." Surely memories of his defeat would deter him from returning there, Raidou thought, thinking back on the android's half open face, his silver skull and electronic red eye crackling with electricity.

"Ah. Well," said the Tarrasque, baring his teeth at Satake in what appeared to be a smile, "It's nice to meet you, young man."

"Same to you, Great Tarrasque," Satake returned his grin. He didn't know the custom for demons, but he still didn't bow for anybody he didn't know well enough to respect. "I got a question. Why can I see you when I'm no summoner?"

"Untrained humans can see me now because Iam powerful enough to will it," said the Tarrasque. "I can make it so that you are the only normal human who sees me."

"When you aren't in a drunken haze," Gouto commented, meaning to scathe.

But the Tarrasque was in a good mood and only chuckled. "Then you're lucky I'm out of alcohol, great kitty! Now, jump on, children. Let's travel before any nosy humans see you two floating over the water."

They obeyed, and as the Tarrasque sped off into the river, Satake glanced at Kotone. "Y'know he calls you sonny, right?"

* * *

Kotone had always wondered about the Catholic religion. It involved one deity of three identities. There were other figures called saints worshiped, but believers insisted that these were nothing like demi-gods, because worshiping a deity other than the first was a sin. It boggled the mind, and Gouto simply told her not to dwell on it. She never tried asking the Herald, thinking it might offend whom the woman represented.

Satake languidly strolled up to the Catholic church. Kotone wondered if he should be so proud, but surely he couldn't have become the Kantou haguro-gumi leader for nothing.

It was eerie inside, reminding Kotone of the day she was informed that she was poised to start training for the role of Raidou Kuzunoha the 14th. She was brought to an empty room in the labyrinth of their village temple with only three pines within, and speaking to her were disembodied voices, their great echoes making her unable to recognize them. Her father had told her of those voices in her youth, that when the time came, she would discover that the voices were little more than the Kuzunoha clan elders who'd watched her grow. But within the temple they were supposed to be guided by the gods and their very own ancestors, the Raidou Kuzunoha of glory days long past (except, she learned later, for Gouto).

"Hey," Satake's voice echoed out to the seemingly empty church as he slammed its doors shut, breaking Kotone out of her reverie. "Time's a wastin'. Come out, come out, idiots."

"I didn't think you'd come bounding to the rescue so quickly,  _boss_ ," said a hoarse, high-pitched voice of a man.

Satake continued down the long aisle to the altar, and as she caught up with him and followed his gaze, Kotone saw a balcony at the back of the church where choirs were positioned to sing hymns. Leaning against its intricate wooden railings was a tall, wiry thing of a man who certainly looked the part of a peon: hooked nose, naturally narrow eyes, and a wide mouth upturned in a wicked grin.

"Hishida, you bastard," Satake muttered, staring up at his former underling with nothing but exasperation. "Only a goon like you could make a mistake like this."

"I wouldn't talk like that to the man who had my frail," Hishida said with a laugh, motioning to something behind him. Out from the darkness came two men, carrying a woman bound by thick rope to a small chair. Her mouth was gagged by cloth, and yet, Satake noted as he watched the unfamiliar woman, she didn't move or scream. She was poised, dignified even in her state of captivity. Behind her veil of collectedness, however, he could see the woman glare at her captors and look down to him pleadingly. No, not to him – to Kotone. Raidou.

"If I'd known your weakness was a frail like this, I'd have baited you and won Mannen-Cho out a long time ago!" Hishida continued with a cheesy cackle. Satake tried not to roll his eyes for the girl's sake. Her kidnapper had worked for him for a few years until the Red Cape incident rolled around and revealed his true colors. Hishida had attempted to use the panic to overthrow him and rise within Kantou haguro-gumi ranks, but Satake had given him a good beatdown in response. He didn't think he'd be seeing the idiot this soon.

Satake was about to respond when Raidou spoke, voice deep. "You may now release her."

Hishida, patience already worn thin by Satake's lack of a more desperate reaction, turned to the young man with a flash of anger in his eyes. "Who the hell are you? I should have your tongue cut off for speaking out of turn, little brat."

"I should cut your head off," Raidou replied.

"Pretty extreme, but I don't see why not," said Gouto with a smirk. "As long as you do it yourself. No demons involved."

"I can do that," Kotone said with a small smile, grateful for Gouto's forgiveness.

Hishida mistook the smile for a smug one. His growl echoed through the church walls. "The stakes just went up. You want your frail, give me the Red Light district along with the damn brat and his big mouth!"

Satake crossed his arms. "You really think this plan's gonna work, don'tcha?"

"Or maybe you don't wanna leave this place alive," Hishida snarled, his tone dangerously low.

"That would be inadvisable," said Raidou, always ready to provide input. Perhaps it was better that Hishida thought her a boy, like most. No doubt it would save on time that would have been wasted criticizing her gender. "Satake's murder would send the Kantou haguro-gumi into a frenzy and start a gang war that would draw a multitude of casualties, including innocent civilians. The police normally turns its head at gang affairs, but the uproar such a thing would cause would force their hand. Not," she finished when Hishida's face was crumpled up with fury, "that it's in your capability to harm us, to begin with. But you might give it some thought."

Satake grinned. Maybe stating the obvious was okay when it came to saps like Hishida who just didn't get it. "Let the frail go, Hishida. Maybe you'll escape with  _your_  life."

At Satake's words, Hishida took in deep breaths and attempted to regain his composure. "Oh? We all know Dame Satake's been hangin' out with that private dick Narumi. Is this woman  _really_  just a frail?"

Satake and Raidou exchanged slightly amused glances. The former said to Hishida, "Gimme the girl and crawl back into your hole already. As much as I'd love to bump gums with you chumps all day, I'm a very busy man. Managin' Mannen-Cho, the Red Light district and all that, you understand." The Kantou haguro-gumi boss feigned an expression of sudden epiphany. "Or…I guess you actually don't."

Hishida slammed a fist against the railings. "I should kill you now!"

"You should try," Satake offered.

Raidou glanced at her companion and whispered, out of Gouto's hearing range, "My demons and I might smooth things out. You needn't lift a finger."

"Isn't that illegal?" Satake asked. "Not for me – couldn't care less – but for you. You said somethin' like that before."

"Hishida is interrupting an important investigation," said Kotone. She knew it was against the rules, but she couldn't help it. "It needn't be."

Satake smirked. "It'd be fun watching these mooks piss their pants with fear, but I like takin' care of my own problems. Feel free to join me."

Raidou nodded, and Kotone wondered if she'd injured Satake's pride. And then she remembered pride on its own, and hubris, and Louis. Her hubris, he had said. Sin resides closest to the heavens.

Catholics believed in a heaven too, didn't they?

Kotone tried to imagine Louis as she repeated his words in her mind and found she could remember that conversation very well, almost as though  _he_  were repeating the words in her mind at that very moment. Had he been warning her about this?

"Kuzunoha, you there?" Satake snapped his fingers in her face, untying the sash on his robe.

"Yes," Kotone answered apologetically. "I have not participated in a true fistfight since I defeated your men in a towel. But I will join you."

"I've always like you for your moxie, Kuzunoha," said Satake with a smirk, and granted the same to Hishida. "You're outmatched. Last chance."

Hishida burst into laughter, his men joining him. Akane ignored them and continued to stare hopefully at Kotone and her friend, the reason why she'd been taken. They had kidnapped her afer taking some damage from Narumi and interrogated her about 'Satake', demanded to know how a frail like her had ensnared the yakuza boss. They only jeered when she replied that she didn't know what they were talking about in the least.

"Laughin' ain't gonna solve this problem," Satake interrupted. "But hey, we don't hafta fight if you're chicken."

Hishida cleared his throat and gave only a small chuckle now. "Are you really bringing a brat into a fistfight?"

Satake glanced at Raidou and saw only a fellow fighter. "He can make his own decisions."

Grunts appeared from the sides of the church, charging at them with battle cries as though it would help them in the coming tussle.

At this, Satake threw off his robe, leaving him only with his trousers. Above, Akane glowed a bright red. She'd never seen a man's body before – Dahn and his friends didn't count. And all those tattoos, and muscle, and  _man_. She felt as though she were sinning just by staring, but the young woman couldn't avert her eyes. How Kotone stayed calm with such a vision before her, she could only attribute to her being Raidou.

Raidou, having seen Satake half-naked on several occasions, barely batted and eyelash and subsequently removed her cape. Gouto gathered the black and blue clothes on the floor to himself and promised to look after them, telling his descendant to make quick work of the offending humans.

She rushed into the fray, paving the way for Satake. It had been a long time since demons attacked her outside the dark realm, thanks to two friends she'd made during the Red Cape incident. They would have loved a raw fight like this, but they were busy handling 'family matters' (or so the notes in their tubes said) and she respected them enough as elders not to summon them forcefully.

Men stormed down from the staircase leading to Hishida and Akane above, and Satake felt almost irate as he watched Raidou punch and kick and  _beat_  the hell out of the goons that were supposed to be  _his_  stress reliever for the day. He didn't like sharing in this case, even with his friends, and he didn't appreciate dealing with just leftovers.

Halfway through the stairs, Hishida's goons learned about teamwork and decided to jump Raidou all at the same time. Instinctively, she ducked, rushing only at the thug directly before her, and the two others fell forward to Satake. The yakuza boss was all too happy to pick up the slack, grabbing the two men by their collars and messily bashing their heads together.

Raidou glanced up from kicking her opponent down for good, and then behind to check on Satake. "There are more coming."

He snorted. "I'd enjoy this better with a front row seat. D'you mind?"

"Oh." It was new for Raidou to have someone want to take on the trouble instead of her, but she welcomed it. Stepping aside over a groaning body, she answered, "All yours."

Satake grinned and surged forward, dodging a blow to the side and carrying a man by the waist before tossing him off the side of the stairs. He punched two more in the face at the same time, gave them another blow to the back of the head as they fell forward for good measure, and then stepped on a man's foot to keep in him in place and pummeled him to the side with a swing of his thick arm. There was a headbutt somewhere there and more thugs being tossed off to the pews below until they reached the top of the stairs. Satake wondered why Hishida even bothered.

Hishida held a knife to Akane's throat. A scream rose there but she held it back, knowing not to give her captor what he wanted. Instead, she showed her fear to Raidou and Satake, the latter of whom tensed visibly at the knife so close to her neck. Akane didn't know if she would be hurt or encouraged by how Raidou simply stared at the weapon.

"This church is a place of worship for some," Raidou said cautiously. "Are you certain you want it sullied with your blood?"

"That's it!" Hishida growled, and even Satake shot Kotone a reproachful look as the traitor raised his knife in the air, ready to plunge it into Akane's heart.

He never got that far. As soon as the knife was over Akane's head, Raidou pulled out her revolver and shot at his hand. Hishida screamed painfully, dropping his knife as he fell to the floor.

Satake lifted Akane and the chair and brought her as far away from Hishida as possible. He ripped the rope apart with his bare hands and untied the gag on Akane's mouth. "You okay? 'Course you're not," he answered his own question in surprise. The woman had been cute at best from afar, but up close, she was beautiful. Short, curly hair, little nose and pursed lips. Even with her just looking back at him, he could tell she possessed a quality to her many women lacked – a certain elegance that came with her apparent frailty, a dignified manner of existence that was both innate and bred in her. A highborn, most like. And her hazel eyes – they looked so sad, and so hopeful. No one had ever looked at him with hope before – only fear, from the general populace, or respect, like his men and the Narumi Detective Agency. But Satake wasn't known for getting lost in some classy woman's hopeful eyes instead of his business, ever-flourishing, so he tore his eyes away from her and turned to Raidou. "Hey Kuzunoha, did you kill him?"

Raidou stared down at Hishida. He was whining about his bleeding hand. "Maybe I should," she replied, returning her gun to its holster. "But I think that pleasure belongs to you."

Satake stole a last glance at Akane, who looked away when he did and resorted to tucking curls behind her ear. He stood and went to kick Hishida's side. "Hey."

Hishida groaned once more, clutching his bleeding arm, and whimpered at Kotone. "Who are you?"

"Raidou Kuzunoha the 14th. Devil Summoner and Protector of the Capital."

"Hey, hey, I'm the one askin' the questions," Satake said, raising his voice. When Hishida looked back at him, the yakuza boss asked, "You ready?"

Hishida didn't hide his confusion. "Huh…?"

Satake gave him no reply except for a foot to the face, and even Kotone's eyes widened a little as Hishida flew from his position on the floor, off the railings and landed on the pews below, shattering the long wooden benches that were repaired only a little after the unexplained destruction there (Raidou had watched the reparation process a little before she returned to the Kuzunoha village). The summoner followed him to the railings and peered down. Gouto had deserted their things and approached Hishida, prowling about his body.

"Alive," the cat announced. "But unconscious. The police can finally charge someone for that ruckus you and Rasputin caused last year, and we get our dame back."

"Perfect," Raidou replied, approaching Akane. "Miss Akane, I'm sorry we took so long – we were uncertain as to who had taken you. Did you come to any harm?"

Standing, Akane smoothed the wrinkles on her dress and gave a difficult smile. "No…for all their boorishness, they were too busy laughing at their own triumph against…" she glanced at Satake briefly, "to think of me."

"Oh, yes. Satake, this is Miss Akane," Narita, Raidou almost said. "Miss Akane, this is Kenzou Satake."

Akane bowed, smiling nervously. "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Satake."

Satake returned the bow. "Pleasure's all mine, Miss Akane…?"

"She'd prefer it if nobody knew," Raidou whispered to him.

He understood. A little mystery every now and then didn't hurt, as long as she wasn't some kid below eighteen possessed by an evil spirit from the future, determined to avert the inescapable end of the world (Narumi had told him as much when he was drunk). "Miss Akane."

"Thank you for rescuing me," said Akane after a long, heavy silence. She was still looking to every which way in an attempt not to look at Satake's chest. Or stomach. Or arms. "He…Hishida…he really didn't expect you to arrive so soon."

Raidou glanced at the table across the stairs, filled with bags of food. That explained those. Kotone would enjoy these spoils.

Satake shrugged. "Not that I don't trust Kuzunoha to kick sufficient ass…It's just, you gotta fight your own battles. Get what I mean?"

"Oh, yes. Of course," Akane nodded vigorously, though knowing her, Kotone didn't think she did. But she supposed that everyone wanted to make a good impression with new acquaintances.

They started down the stairs, and Akane couldn't help but gasp at all the unconscious men. She'd heard the brawl from above, but she hadn't actually imagined it to be like this. "I'm sorry for causing all this mess…"

"S'fine," Satake waved her worries away when they reached the ground floor. Or it felt like he could. "Don't worry about it. These goons needed to learn their lesson anyway."

"And they did," said Kotone, wearing her cape around her like a protective blanket and tossing Satake his robes.

With Satake's chest almost covered again, Akane was able to speak more clearly. "By the way… How is Mr. Narumi? I'm afraid he was injured in his attempt to protect me."

"He'll be fine," said Satake. "Bet he's enjoying the hot baths."

"No doubt," Gouto remarked, catching up with them as they made their way out of the church.

"There is that," Kotone said with a small smile, and when the sun got into her eyes as she exited, she could have sworn she'd seen Louis, passing her with a smug grin, but when she lowered her head and pulled her schoolcap forward, nothing.

Akane saw the afternoon sun and sighed. "I'm sorry. We were supposed to leave today and – I've delayed us."

"Miss Akane, it really was no—" Kotone stopped at the sight of Satake's irritated expression. "Is something the matter?"

Satake was ignoring her. Instead, he turned to Akane and said, "Stop apologizin', will ya? Stand up for yourself. You're not gonna get what you want with a buncha sorry's."

Akane looked down. "I'm—" she stopped. "All right."

Walking ahead of them, Kotone whipped out her Flute of Rhone. She'd wanted to say those words to Akane herself, but seeing how they only furthered the drop in the older female's confidence, perhaps it wasn't the best way to go about things. Of course, Satake had never been one to beat around the bush.

As Satake watched Akane tuck her curls behind her ear and think of how someone who could be so empowered now with her beauty was so meek and apologetic, the river roared and out came the Tarrasque, grinning toothily. Akane felt her knees buckle.

"Goin' somewhere, sonny?"


End file.
